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ROOSKVEWS ARRIVAI. AT KAPITI. PI<AINS, A STATION NEAR THE ESTATE OF 
ii SIR ALFRED PEASE. 



ROOSEVELT 

IN 

AFRICA 

GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF THE WORLD'S MOST RENOWNED 

HUNTER IN THE WILDS OF AFRICA. HIS UNERRING 

AIM AND WONDERFUL ABILITY AS A HUNTER. 

ENCOUNTERS WITH LIONS, TIGERS, ELEPHANTS 

AND OTHER WILD BEASTS OF THE JUNGLE. 

CONTAINING ALSO A COMPLETE HISTORY AND STUDY OF 

Wild Animals of the World 

THEIR APPEARANCE, HABITS, TRAITS OF CHARACTER AND 
EVERY DETAIL OF THEIR WILD LIFE 

WITH THRILLING AND EXCITING 
EXPERIENCES OF 

HUNTERS OF BIG GAME 

IN ALL PARTS OF THE GLOBE; INCLUDING MORTAL COM- 
BATS BETWEEN FEROCIOUS WILD ANIMALS, 
DANGEROUS AND DARING EXPLOITS, 
AND HAIR-BREADTH ESCAPES 

By FREDERICK SEYMOUR 

The world-renowned Hunter and Naturalist 



Over 300 Half-Tone Illustrations 

MADE ESPECIALLY FOR THIS VOLUME, MANY OF THEM FROM 

ACTUAL PHOTOGRAPHS OF WILD ANIMALS IN THEIR 

NATIVE HOMES, TAKEN BY THE AUTHOR 



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Copyright IflOI, liy Henry Neil 

Copyright 

1909 

By D.B. McCurdy 



P, ^ 24 5S78 
AU J 23 1909 



AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 



THE Roosevelt hunting expedition, which gives the special title to this 
work, is herewith described because its chief figure is not only an ex- 
President of the United States, but an American authority on wild 
animals who, in his ambition to become a world authority, thus ventured into 
some of the most famous hunting grounds of Africa. Another reason why 
unusual prominence is given to it, is that it is one of the most noteworthy 
expeditions ever organized to hunt big game and make scientific investiga- 
tions among the animals of perhaps the most important zoological division of 
the earth. 

From my earliest boyhood, wild animal life has had a fascination for me. 
I have been nearly over the globe and in most of the countries where wild 
animals have been least disturbed by civilization. 

I have carefully studied each wild animal with a view to becoming ac- 
quainted not only with its physical appearance, but with its habits and manr.er 
of living, with all the traits of its character and every detail of its private life. 

In describing the animals I have tried to avoid the use of all scientific 
words and terms so as not to confuse those readers who have made no special 
study of zoology. 

My experiences have taught me the truth of the Scriptural saying that 
"man and the animals are kin," and I hope and believe that I am doing a bene- 
fit to my fellow man, as well as giving him genuine enjoyment and pleasure, 
by bringing him into a closer acquaintance with God's animal kingdom. 












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Copyright 1909, by Underwood & Underwood. 

yi NATIVE HUNTERS' CAMP IN THE JUNGLE. 




TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



THE ROOSEVELT HUNT. 

Wily He Went to Africa. Hunting big game as a young man — His first book, "Hunt- 
iiuT Trips of a Kancluiiau" — Universally known as hunter among sportsmen of 
the worbl — White House interviews with hunters of big ganie — Decision for 
African trip made two years before close of presidential term 

Voyage to Mombasa. Members 'of hunting party — Incidents of the voyage — Stops at 
Naples and Messina — Meets King "Victor Emmanuel — Arrival and enthusiastic 
reception at Mombasa 

Hunting Preparations and Outfit. Hunter's license — Eefuses special privileges — Em- 
ploying native helpers — Wages paid, supplies furnished, fresh meat required daily 

Bravest Native Hunters of Africa. Command highest pay — No fear of death — Great 
fidelity to employers when [leril threatens — Terrible tight with wounded lion.... 

The True African Sportsman. Hazard of limb and life — Violent charges of lion, buf- 
falo, elephant and rhinoceros — Hunter's intense scorn for cowardice 

Scope of the Roosevelt Hunting Grounds, Embraces every variety -of country — plain, 
jungle, swamp, forest, and hill — Swarms with game — Over fifty varieties, not 
excelled anywhere in the world — The hunter's paradise — Magnificent ranches 
and private hunting grounds 

Awful Cost of the Uganda Railroad. Great cost in money, and greater cost m human 
lives — Awful toll collected by disease, poisonous insects, reptiles, carnivorous 
beasts, warlike natives, the tsetse fly that causes the fatal sleeping sickness, and 
the man-eating lion 

Special Object of the Expedition. Aim to collect natural history specimens for 
Smithsonian Institution 

Roosevelt's Guns and Ammunition. Preparations for bagging big and small game. 

Off on the Roosevelt Safari. The busy two days spent at Mombasa prior to de- 
parture for the hunting grounds 

MOMBASA TO NAIROBI. 

Old Mombasa, or the Battle City. Picturesque jungle of old and new Africa — Its his- 
tory — Captured and recaptured alternately by Portuguese and Arabs until pro- 
tected by Great Britain 

New Mombasa, the British Capital. Net-work of tramways — Coolies and aristocratic 
Europeans — Hearty welcome for visitors — Harbor at Kilindini, two miles southeast 

Climbing the Desert of Taru to Vol. The Uganda railroad — Nairobi — Large depots and 
docks at Kilindini — Great Iron Bridge — Cocoanut palms and mangroves, well kept 
plantations, and native huts 

vii 



viii TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

Taru Desert and Old Caravan Route. Old road viewed from Eoosevelt's speeding 
train — A desert, but not destitute of animal life 

Glorious Mount Kilimanjaro. Highest peali in Africa, 19,?00 above sea — Government 
road — Bungalow for tourists — Climbing the mountain from a heat of 110°, to 
snow and glaciers at the top 

How the Game is Killed in Reserves. Safe from human hunters, but a slaughter pen 
for small and peaceable game by big and ferocious animals — Antelopes, zebras, 
ostriches and giraffes swarm here, but great numbers are required to satisfy the 
bloodthirsty appetites of lions, leopards, hyenas and jackals 

The Run from Voi to Kapiti Plains. Great hunt started April 22nd on Kanch of Sir 
Alfred Pease on the Athi Eiver — Guard of honor at station — Personnel of the 
party — His camp in the Mau Hills — First lion hunt — Koosevelt's joy over his first 
killing — Kerniit a good second — Animals killed by the party in this region — Ker- 
mit and his camera also effective — Off for the Juja Ranch of W. N. McMillan, 
east of Nairobi 

Country from Kapiti Plains to Nairobi. Up toward the great hunting grounds near 
headwaters of the Atlii Eiver — The spill-over of game from the reserves 

Nairobi, Chicago of East Africa. Headquarters of the Uganda Railroad — Shops, iron 
works and native workers, also military and political headquarters — -Telegraph and 
telephone center — Automobiles and good hotels — Electric lights glitter in the eyes 
of wild lions and jackals — A hospitable city to African travelers 



ROOSEVELT HUNTING GROUNDS. 

Nairobi, the Great Outfitting Point. Hunting expeditions or caravan parties arrive 
and dejiart daily — Porters loaded with trophies of the chase — European and 
Hindu merchants 

Hospitable Planters of the Hunter's Paradise. Great estates — Juja farm, 20,000 acres 
— E. W. Jackson, Sir Alfred Pease, William N. McMillan royal entertainers — 
Roosevelt pleased with their kindness and help 

Beauties of the Mount Kenla Region, Eastern Limits of the Hunt. Gorgeous colors 
in Ijlossonis, groves of wild olives — Granite spires swarming with little gray mon- 
keys — ^Safe from the wild beasts — Glorious cloud effects — A land of surprises — 
Chosen home of the rhinoceros — The shy and pretty Colobus monkey 

Trackihg, Attacking and Killing the Big Game. Distinguishing the spoor, or tracks, of 
lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino, hippo and antelope 

Tracking Big Game by Their Droppings and Browsings. These, with the story of the 
spoor, lead the hunter to his quarry — Different signs on trees and shrubbery left 
by the elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo and antelope 

Charms of the Lion Chase. Human wit against animal instinct — Usually minds his 
own Ijusijicss unless attacked, but most wise and uncertain of big beasts — 
Comparative advantages of riding the lion, or hunting him afoot — His whirlwind 
rush pronounced by hunters the "swiftest thing on earth" 

Blind Charge of the Black Rhinoceros. Does not wait to be attacked — Tears through 
whole caravans — Almost blind, but among the first to scent "tainted air" — 
Loves to lurk in dark places 

Terrific Onslaught of the Buffalo. The hereditary foe of the lion — Knows he is favored 
meat for the king of beasts — One of the most tenacious of life among the beasts. . 

Sable Antelope. The great dog killer — Also sometimes drives his spear-like horns 
through the hunter's body. 

Hartbeests and Gnus. Their wonderful staying qualities — No horse can compare with 
them — ^Shot through the lungs, they still gallop out of sight — White bearded 
wildebeest — Jackson 's hartbeest — Coke 's hartbeest and other varieties common 
to the Roosevelt hunting grounds 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. ix 



NEW AFRICA. 

In Black and White. Scattering villages of Wanytka — Generally agricultural, but some- 
times dangerous — Murder of Thomas London and execution of natives 

Wakamba, Largest Tribe of East Africa. Farmers and lierdsmeu and only tribe to hold 
their own against the warlike Masai 

The Warlike Masai. Prowess as lion hunters — Dance in honor of a young man who 
killed a lion armed only with a spear — Gamblers, like other black men 

The Kikuyu. An unreliable tribe between Nairobi and Mount Kenia 

Naked Tribes at the Head of Victoria Nyanza. Bronze Models of i)hysical perfection 
— Moral and peaceable people 

The Nandi Tribe. Stole telegraph wire for bracelets and earrings and railroad bolts 
for spear heads 

Native Kingdom of Uganda. A well organized state under the protection of Great 
Britain — The Japanese of Africa and their king — A land of cotton, cocoa, coflfee, 
oranges, lemons, jjineapples and general fertility — People eager for knowledge... 

White Belt. British, Germans, Americans and Boers — From Nairobi to Port Florence 
a region of farms and plantations — Nakuru, the chief Boer colony — Old-time foes 
peaceful farmers 

Great Scenic Section of the Uganda Railway. Kises over two thousand feet the first 
twenty-four miles , 

Escarpment Station Overlooking Great Rift Valley, 1,500 Feet Below. A railroad 
pitching over a, cliff — Valley of volcanic hills and craters — A country of escarp- 
ments, or abrupt land pitches — A slumbering volcano — Old rope lift for travelers 
to this weird region 

On to Kijabe, Well Named "The Wind." A Ideak station— Ride of the Roosevelt 
party on the cow catcher from Kikuyu — Shoot Colobus monkeys near Kijabe — 
Roosevelt visits the African Inland Mission 

Lovely and Mysterious Lake Naivasha Beyond. Bright blossoms on its bosom — In 
its midst an almost submerged crater — The home of myriad of water fowl — Sur- 
rounded, by big game and great herds of sheep and goats — Its islands great 
breeding grounds for herons 

Government Breeding Farm for Zebras Near Lake Naivasha. Efforts to solve the 
horse problem in Africa by producing a zebra hybrid 

Nakuru and Its Charming Lake. A rich grass country surrounding a salt lake — Along 
the Man escarpment and over twenty-seven huge viaducts built by American 
engineers — A country of Boer farmers 

From Fort Ternan to Port Florence. Last section of Uganda Railroad through a 
swampy but fertile country 

The Approach to Port Florence and Lake Victoria Nyanza Disappointing. Port 
Florence, a transfer station from railroad to steamer 

Big Hunting Grounds to the North. Along the Nzoia River and around the southern 
base of Mount Elgon — A famous lion country — Riding down His Kingship — Herds 
of giraffe and Jackson's hartbeest — Following a lion into cover 

Across the Lake to Entebbe. British capital of the Uganda Protectorate — A carefully 
planned city — Charming location and surroundings of "The Chair" — Shores blaz- 
ing with color — Island gems in the blue lake 

The Sleeping Sickness. Beautiful district densely populated by natives eight years ago 
now devastated — Laboratory and hospital at Entebbe — Treatment of the disease — 
Its inoculator, the tsetse fly — Its symptoms and mortality — 'Koch's investigations 

Roosevelt's Host and Hostess at Entebbe. .Judge George F. M. Ennis, head of the 
judicial system of the Uganda, Protectorate, and his wife (nee Miss Ethel Kirk- 
land of Chicago) — Fgrmal reception by Sir Hesketh Bell, the governor — Home 
entertaining by Mrs. Ennis, Entebbe's only American — Roosevelt's God-speed 
toward the Nile and civilization 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



ANIMALS DESCRIBED. 

The Lion. The king of wild beasts 63 

The Elk. Fierce fighter and great swimmer 81 

The Tiger. The man-eater of the jungle 89 

The Deer. In many varieties 101 

The Mountain Lion. A savage enemy to horses and sheep 117 

The Camel. The "Ship of the Desert"— The carrier for Asia and Africa 121 

The Jaguar. The terror of South American villagers 129 

The Buffalo. Only three herds left in the United States 133 

The Armadillo. A South American animal protected like a battleship 145 

The Lynx. With beautiful and valuable fur 149 

The Elephant. The most marvelous animal of brute creation 153 

The Leopard. Spotted, climbing, springing, cat-like 165 

The Reindeer. An animal that forms the wealth of Laplanders 171 

The Coyote. Known as the ' ' Vagrant of the Plains " 175 

The Wild Sheep, which was hunted by President Roosevelt 179 

The Mungoose. "Rough and Ready" fighter of the animal world 185 

The Zebra. The beautiful horse-tiger of Eastern Africa 191 

The Yak. Long-haired, ox-like animal on the high plateaus of Thibet 195 

The Prairie Dog. Animals that live in underground towns 199 

The Wild Boar, that furnishes exciting and dangerous sport for hunters 205 

The Porcupine. A fearless animal bristling with long spines 211 

The Hippopotamus. The great "river horse" that looks more like a river hog 215 

The Jackal, The animal from which the dog descended 2l9 

The Tapir. The connecting link between the elephant and the hog 223 

The Monkey. The animal that most nearly resembles a human being 229 

The Antelope. Seventy different varieties scattered throughout the world 251 

The Rhinoceros. Huge animal that is favorite game of hunters ; 271 

The Musk-Ox. A shaggy buflfalo-Iike animal of the Arctic regions 279 

The Giraffe. The most curious of all four-footed animals 283 

The Fox. Cunning animal that furnishes sport for huntsmen 287 

The Seal. Furnishes fashionable women with fur coats 293 

The Squirrel. A frisky animal supposed to be timid, but impudent 303 

The Otter. A little fur-bearing, land and water animal 307 

The Civet. An animal that supplies a fine perfumery 311 

The Crocodile. In the new world known as the alligator 315 

The Sloth. Clings to branches of trees with back toward the ground 323 

The Tortoise. A counterpart of the turtle of monstrous size 327 

The Ocelot. A little forest animal with a savage disposition 333 

The Wolf. Boldly attacks travelers — Kills sheep for fun 337 

The Badger. An animal for which a great state is named 341 

The Hyena. The most cowardly, cruel and treacherous of all beasts 346 

The Llama. A link between the sheep and camels 349 

The Carpincho. Related to the cavies but known as the "water hog" 353 

The Ant-eater. An animal that gathers ants on its long sticky tongue 355 

The Ostrich. Chiefly valuable for its plumage 360 

The Lizard. Many harmless, but some deadly poisonous 365 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. • xi 

The Kangaroo. An animal that carries its yonng in a i»uuoli 371 

The Hedgehog. A strange little animal dressed in spikes 375 

The Wild Goat. A wary animal that frequents high mountains 379 

The Musquash. Little animal with habits similar to the beaver 383 

The Wart Hog. An ugly and sometimes dangerous animal of East Africa 385 

The Raccoon. A fur-bearing animal that washes its food before eating it 387 

The Cohego. A queer flying animal of the Philippine Islands 391 

The Gazelle. The embodiment of grace and beauty 393 

The Chameleon. Supposed to live upon air, but exists upon insects 399 

The Fossa. Species of the cat family — Fierce disposition 402 

The Walrus. An enormous sea animal — Valuable for its oil and tusks 405 

The Weazel. A bloodthirsty little animal with the courage of a giant 411 

The Chamois. The animal that leaps among the mountain craigs 417 

The Rabbit. Leads a life of peril and hairbreadth escapes 423 

The Aard Wolf. Eelated to the hyena and the fox 429 

The Mole. The most marvelous of all burrowing animals 431 

The Teurec. An insect-eating animal — Can whip a dog 437 

The Opossum. Considered a great delicacy by the colored folks 439 

The Duckbill. A^queer animal with a duck's bill for a muzzle 445 

The Caffre Cat. The animal from which the domestic cat has descended 449 

The Ferret. A wonderful rat catcher and rabbit hunter 451 

The Gorilla. The enormous ape of Western Africa ^ 455 

The Pangolin. A queer animal— Lives on ants — How hunted — Its habits 459 

The Shrew. An elegant little creature that lives on insects 461 

The Lemur. An animal closely related to the monkey 465 

The Peccary. Ferocious little swine — Fearless in the face of danger 473 

The Cavies. Many varieties — The guinea pig most familiar 477 

The Aard-Vark. Known as the "earth-pig" — Ugly and ungracL'fu! 483 

The Wapi. A strange combination of horse, giraffe and zebra 487 

The Aye Aye. A squirrel-like animal — Savage in its wild state — Nests in trees 491 

The Linsang. A civet-like animal, beautifully colored — Fur is thick and velvety 497 

The Dugong. A marine animal which somewhat resembles the manati 503 

The Manati. A w^ter animal sometimes known as a sea cow 505 

The Echidna. A spiny ant-eating animal — Lays eggs and has a bird-like form 509 

The Birds. A description of the bird illustrations comprised in the chapter head- 
ings — A complete guide to the bird kingdom and a practical handbook of orni- 
thology '^ 513-544 




A WOUNDED STAG TURNING ON THE HUNTER. 

At times when shot and lying as though dead, the animal suddenly starts to his feet and 
Xii attacks with great ferocity. 




THE ROOSEVELT HUNT. 



WHY HE WENT TO EAST AFRICA. 



Outdoor life and physical adventure have always seemed as natural and 
necessary to Theodore Roosevelt as political enterprise and manly public 
service. It is not on record that he has ever been fond of hunting small game, 
either in the Rocky Mountains or more settled sections of the United States. 
The bracing air of the American wilds, the free sweep of the western moun- 
tains and plains, and the excitements of running down the grizzly, have been 
the means of collecting and maintaining that wonderful vitality which has so 
completely sustained him amid the burdens and perplexities of his pulilic 
career. It has made him brave in war and fearless in attacking those whom 
he considered foes to the nation and society. 

But why did he go to Africa? Could he not have continued to hunt big 
game at home? It was impossible for a man of his temperament to do other- 
wise than start for Africa. He knew all about the big game of the United 
States. He commenced to hunt it, as a young man on a North Dakota ranch, 
continuing that phase of his career over the western plains and mountains 
after he was President of the United States. As a young man, he wrote his 
first book, "Hunting Trips of a Ranchman," and has published four or five 
others, covering broader ground with the extension of his experience. What 
more natural than that, having exhausted the American subject, he should 
turn to the most famous hunting grounds for big game in the world? It is 
also quite conceivable tlrat he wished to cut loose from the strenuous public 
life he had been experiencing for several years. There is, further, a special 



2 THE ROOSEVELT HUNT. 

reason for his determination to experience the most electric thrihs known to 
hunters ; by pitting his keenness, ingenuity and stamina against the same traits 
characteristic of the lords of the brute creation. Roosevelt as a huntsman was 
universally known and greatly admired among the true sportsmen of the 
world, and whenever one of this class came to the United States he seldom 
failed to have an interview with the President, and whatever the pressure of 
the affairs of state Roosevelt snatched time to interview the hunter of big 
beasts. Among these was Richard Tjader, whose exciting tales of his elephant 
killings, lion trackings and ridings, buffalo hunts and other adventures in 
British East Africa, are said to have caused Roosevelt's final decision, so 
that his trip was practically determined about two years before the expiration 
of his presidential service. 

HIS VOYAGE TO MOMBASA. 

On March 23, 1909, two weeks after President Taft had been inaugurated 
as his successor, Mr. Roosevelt left New York on the steamship "Hamburg" 
for a fifteen months' recreation trip, including a hunt in the protectorate 
of British East Africa, a voyage in the waters of the great Victoria Nyanza 
lake and a journey down the valley of the Nile. He was to be the head of 
an expedition in active charge of R. J. Cunninghame, of Nairobi, the head- 
quarters of the Uganda Railroad. Not only is Mr. Cunninghame one of the 
most expert of African sportsmen, but the party was also to include F. C. 
Selous, the famous hunter and author. Mr. Roosevelt's son, Kermit, who 
accompanied him from the first, was to be official photographer of the expedi- 
tion. On March 30th the "Hamburg" arrived at St. ]\Iichaels, the Azores, 
where the Roosevelts were received by the American Consul and given God- 
speed toward Gibraltar. The steamship made the British stronghold April 
2nd, and after Mr. Roosevelt and his son had been entertained by the com- 
mandant the voyage was continued to Naples. There the ex-President was 
greeted with all the honors due to his distinguished character, and in its 
glorious harbor he found awaiting him, gaily decked with flags and crowded 
with welcoming crew, passengers and visitors, the steamship "Admiral." The 
latter was to bear the party to Mombasa, the port of entry and capital of 
British East Africa, and the beginning of the great Uganda railroad, or back- 
bone of the Big Game Hunting Grounds. It was at Naples that Mr. Selous 
joined the party and for nearly two weeks thereafter, or until the boat landed 
at Mombasa, the ex-President's appetite for action was whetted daily by the 



THE ROOSEVELT HUNT. 




THE ROOSEVELT HUNT. 




Copyright 1909, by 
Underwood & Underwood 



NATIVE TROOPS OF EAST AFRICA 



narratives of his companion, covering his own huntings of big game in the 
country to which they were bound. The impressive incident of the voyage 
was the stop at Messina, April 6th, during which Mr. Roosevelt met King 
Victor Emmanuel, recci\-ed the rqyal thanks for American sympathy and 
generosity in behalf of the earthquake victims, and then, with unconcealed 



THE ROOSEJ'ELT HUNT. 5 

emotion, viewed the pitiful ruins of tlie stricken city. The "Admiral" arrived 
at Port Said on the evening of April 9th, and about half way between the 
Mediterranean and Red seas the scientific branch of the party landed to 
make a collection of bird specimens. The only other incident which occurred 
in the Suez canal, worthy of comment, was the passing of the "City of Paris," 
crowded with British passengers, who heartily cheered the ex-President and 
had the satisfaction of seeing his famous and infectious smile when he noted 
the large "Teddy bear" displayed on deck. The "Admiral" passed out of the 
canal on the evening of the following day; left Aden, Arabia, x\pril 15th, and 
after running down the dreary coast of the Red Sea, with only a short slop at 
Somaliland, on the 21st of April landed the party at Mombasa in the midst 
of a pouring rain, notwithstanding which, the shore was crowded with 
Europeans, Indians and natives, and a military guard was drawn up in honor 
of the ex-President, who was welcomed by the provincial Commissioner and 
conducted to the government house. Mr. Roosevelt was dined and hospitablv 
entertained, but, with the enthusiasm of the true sportsman, made his prep- 
arations for the hunt as rapidly as possible. 

HUNTING PREPARATIONS AND OUTFIT. 

The first thing to do is to secure a hunter's license, and it is a fair illustra- 
tion of Roosevelt's democracy, as well as of his true sportsmanship, "to state 
that he refused to accept special privileges, but insisted upon abiding by the 
common laws governing the killing of big game. These provide for a license 
ranging from $85 for a bull elephant to $25 for a giraffe or rhinoceros and 
$15 for an antelope; limit the killing to two- each of elephant, rhinoceros, 
hippopotamus and zebra and classify and protect as Royal Game not only 
these animals, but buffalo, eland, impalla and ostrich. Lions and leopards may 
be killed without a license, as they are classed as "vermin," pests fit to be 
exterminated. Further, shooting from trains is forbidden ; so that the big 
game of British East Africa is protected against reckless and unsportsmanlike 
slaughter. 

In employing native help, it is usually figured that thirty porters (at about 
$4.50 per month) will be required for each white in the party, and the average 
load is sixty pounds. Gun bearers and caravan headmen are paid about three 
times that amount, if they be Swahili, and some $25 per month if Somali. 
Allowances are also ma^le for food, and if the hunter wishes to abide by the 
strict letter of the law he takes out a government caravan license. The latter 



6 THE ROOSEVELT HUNT. 

binds you to pay your men what you stipulate, provide each with not less than 
a quart of cereals a day, and a water bottle and blanket, and furnish each gang 
of eight with a tent and cooking pot. The legal allowance of food, however, 
would be far from satisfactory to the average native. It is generally supposed 
that the inhabitants of cold countries are the great meat eaters, but the stories 
told of the quantities of meat consumed by the porters and other natives at- 







Copyright 1909, by 
Underwood & Underwood NATIVES WAITING FOR MEAT. 

Hippopotamus dragged from Victoria Nyanza, with six bullets in his head. 



tached to a ''safari," or African hunting party, would discount the tales illus- 
trating the capacity of the blubber-eating Esquimaux. They grumble if they 
do not have fresh meat daily; and they not only pick the bones clean, Init ex- 
tract the marrow. A fair-sized party will consume two elands and waterbucks 
dailv, if the hunters can furnish them with such rations. 



THE ROOSEVELT HUNT. 



BRAVEST NATIVE HUNTERS OF AFRICA. 

From all accounts, there is a very good reason — in fact, many good rea- 
sons — why the Somali helpers, or shikaris, command the highest pay of all 
the native hunters of Africa. They are scrupulously clean and, like all Mo- 
hammedans, absolutely temperate. Fatalists in religion, they have no fear of 
death. If they are to die by the terrible jaws or paws of a lion — they die; 
that is all there is to it. With their light complexions, wavy hair, tall, slender 
and wiry bodies, they are largely Arabian, both in appearance and in fact. 
As proclaimed by one who has cause to stand by his words, "Nothing con- 
nected with East African lion shooting is more heroic than the conduct of the 
Somali shikaris. No Sahib who treats them half decently is likely to find 
cause to complain of their fidelity. When peril threatens, they are as ready to 
die for him as most others are ready to desert." Countless stories are told 
illustrative of their intrepidity. For instance, the fresh tracks of a lion lead 
to the mouth of a dark cave, high enough only to admit the two Somalis who, 
without a moment's pause, start for the opening, one armed with a rifle and 
the other with only his skinning knife. The white Sahib shouts a protest and 
a warning, at which one of them answers cheerily, without a tremor in his 
voice, "Inshallah [God willing] we come back." They then enter the cave 
and even toss stones into its darkness, inviting in every way, a charge of the 
terrible king of beasts. Again, a wounded lion charges a white hunter and 
his Somali gun bearer. As the beast crushes the former to the ground, the 
rifle, which had previously been broken and imperfectly repaired, falls apart. 
Being unable to fire it to advantage, the Sahib rams the gun barrel down the 
wounded lion's throat. As the two lay struggling on the ground — the beast 
commencing to maul the hunter most fearfully — the Somali circles around 
endeavoring to find an opening to dispatch the lion with the rifle in his posses- 
sion. After several vain attempts, the native drops the gun and springs upon 
the back of the infuriated beast, biting its ears and pounding its eyes with 
such ferocity that it turns upon him and all three fall to the earth together — 
the Somali beneath the lion and the effective rifle under both. This diversion 
gives the Sahib an opportunity to arise, pull the weapon free and blow out the 
lion's brains, thus saving his faithful and brave follower from the death 
wliich he invited in order to rescue his chief. The air of the hunting grounds 
in British East Africa Is full of such stories, and it is therefore quite natural 
that the true white sportsman is perfectly willing to pay the high wages so 



8 THE ROOSEVELT HUNT. 

fully earned by the Somalis. Besides such invaluable native hunters, a safari 
must have a number of Somali ponies and Abyssinian mules. 

An. outfit for one man will usually consist of a white safari (or party) 
leader, a headman, gun-bearer, cook, mess-boy and tent-boy (all Somalis) ; 
from twenty to twenty-five native porters; tents, beds and provisions — all 
furnished at from $3.50 to $5.00 per month. 

As on all subjects under the sun, experts disagree as to the most effective 
weapons and balls to be used on big game. Heavy-bore rifles have, as a rule, 
been discarded, and perhaps the favorites of the present day are English 
double-barreled .450 cordite for big game, and a magazine rifle of .256 to .350 
for deer and smaller quadrupeds. Upon one point the hunters of big African 
game now generally agree, that is, "Avoid throwing your lead into the ani- 
mals, unless you have a fair chance of reaching brain, heart or spine"; for 
such is their extraordinary vitality that, irrespective of hits, they run the 
faster if the bullet does not strike a vital organ. When a hartbeest bull will 
carry nine big Mauser bullets in his carcass for two miles before slowing up, 
and a "hippo" twenty-two 303's before admitting himself beaten, it is the wise 
part of the hunter to wait for his opportunity to get a fairly fatal shot. 

THE TRUE AFRICAN SPORTSMAN. 

Theodore Roosevelt is built on the lines of the true African sportsman, 
who glories in the fact that there is no land in the world which offers such 
hazard of limb and life, in the pursuit of game, as his own. Not one of his 
big game but will easily carry as much imbedded lead as the grizzly bear ; and 
bruin cannot compare with the lion, buffalo, elephant or rhinoceros in the im- 
petuosity of his charge. The old and true African hunter has nothing but the 
most intense scorn for the white who would poison a lion or a leopard, and has 
even little patience with him who lays set guns or traps. In the interests of 
science, the capture of smaller animals may be thus made, but it is to the 
typical African hunter an exhibition of inexcusable cowardice for a man to 
thus destroy big game. When there is more than one white hunter in the 
party, it is customary for true sportsinen to agree before setting out upon the 
division of the killings and the order of first shots, some even preferring to 
pitch their camps at least twenty miles apart in order to avoid any crossing of 
lines or conflicting claims. 

The idea is rather exploded that, in order to get the most out of a big- 
game hunt, one must go into it without taking comfortable tents, an abun- 



THE ROOSEVELT HUNT. 9' 

dance of provisions and a big medicine chest, "Roughing it" is all right ; but 
the hunter will get enough of that, with probable attacks on life and limb, in 
the natural order of his trip, without endangering his health and sapping his 
strength by exposure to tropical dew, rain and insects and the eating of un- 
healthful foods. Native villages or railway points are usually relied upon for 
eggs, flour and vegetables, but all modern parties, like the Roosevelt expedi- 
tion, now lay in a good supply of sugar and canned meats and tomatoes. The 
medicine chest must contain, above all, an abundant supply of lint bandages, 
besides the usual antidotes for poisons and powerful cauterizers to prevent 
fatal results from possible wounds inflicted by the terrific carrion claws of 
His Royal Highness, the King of Beasts. Brandy and champagne are also 
considered desirable as medical supplies, but the true sportsman knows how 
necessary it is to confine all liquors to their legitimate province, for the moment 
they are taken as indulgences the capacity of the drinkers for endurance and 
keen work is materially lessened. 

SCOPE OF THE ROOSEVELT HUNTING GROUNDS. 

All such preparations having been made by the great expedition, of 
which Mr. Roosevelt was the most distinguished member, the party boarded 
a modern railway train drawn by an American Baldwin engine and pulled out 
from Mombasa for the Kapiti plains, the districts adjoining the headwaters 
of the Athi and Tana rivers and the Mount Kenia region — which were to be 
the main hunting grounds thrown open to the ex-President. This great 
district embracing every variety of African country — plain, jungle, swamp, 
forest and hill — not only swarms with game, both big and small, but contains 
fifty varieties of the larger species, and is therefore probably unexcelled any- 
where in the world. It lies northeast of the railroad, with Nairobi as its 
central station, and is almost midway along the line, which extends 584 miles 
from Mombasa to Port Florence, the terminus, on Lake Victoria Nyanza. To 
be quite accurate Nairobi is T^^y miles from the Indian Ocean, but this central 
section of the Roosevelt hunting grounds extends considerably north and far 
east of that city, the headquarters of the Uganda railway. This is the para- 
dise of the modern African hunter, not only because of the abundance and 
variety of great game, but from the fact that several of the famous sportsmen 
of the world have established there magnificent ranches, or private hunting- 
grounds, on which they entertain with the lavishness befitting their rank. 
Among them are the splendid Heatley, Pease and McMillan estates, the mas- 



10 



THE ROOSEJ'ELT HUNT. 



ters of which threw open their homes and grounds to Mr. Roosevelt. There 
are great government reserves, both north and south of the raih'oad, extending 
from Tsavo to Kijabe, some two hundred and thirty miles, and the railroad 




ROOSEVEtT HUNTING GROUNDS. 



traveler soon notes that these sections of the protectorate are literally crowded 
with game of every description. But the animals themselves seem to know 
the limits of their safety and also the game law forbidding shooting from 
trains, and seldom leave the reserves except in periods of extended drought; 



THE ROOSEVELT HUNT. 11 

while not only such "vermin" as lions and leopards boldly stand near the track 
and gaze at the tantalized passengers, but the timid gazelle and the wary 
giraffe appear to discard their very natures. 

AWFUL COST OF THE UGANDA RAILROAD. 

When the statistician finds that about $35,000,000 was spent in the build- 
ing- of the Uganda railway from its commencement, in January, 1896, to its 
completion, in 1902, he pronounces the cost great. The philanthropist and the 
enterprising citizen of the world asserts that the cost was small, considering 
that it has changed the face of a large portion of Equatorial Africa; opened 
up a wonderful country for the scientist and cartographer and a land full of 
charms and surprises for the artist ; thrown safeguards around the lives of the 
Christian missionaries; introduced the world to one of the most advanced 
and promising native states of Africa; created a real scenic railway for the 
pleasure and instruction of thousands of travelers — in fact, driven a great 
wedge into interior Africa for the entrance of civilization, and last (but great- 
est in the estimation of the hunter of big game), made it possible for the true 
African sportsman to be placed, comfortable and fresh, in his hunting grounds, 
prepared to give the full strength of his body and the keenness of his mind to 
the strenuous work before him. The journey of nearly six hundred miles 
from the coast to Lake Victoria Nyanza, taken by the cumbersome caravan 
at an expenditure of three months' time and a small fortune in money, is now 
accomplished in less than forty-eight hours at a cost of from $5.84 to $40.4. 
The railroad rates are six cents, three cents and one cent per mile, according 
to the class of accommodations. It is not on record that any white man has 
ridden the 584 miles on a third-class ticket in the '']\m Crow" cars ; the latter 
are monopolized by the natives. Jim Crows, in turn, are barred from the 
first and second-class cars, which are comfortable and cool. 

If only seven million British pounds had been expended on this great 
creation of New Africa, the cost would indeed be small in view of what has 
already been accomplished and the far greater benefits of the future. - But 
disease, poisonous insects and reptiles, and, more terrible still, the carnivorous 
beasts of East x\frica, collected an awful toll of human life before the Uganda 
railway was completed. Although some of the warlike native tribes, such as 
Ihe Masai, gave the early surveyors and builders some trouble by cutting off 
scattered parties, the agents before mentioned were chiefly responsible for the 
great sacrifice of life. What has been said of this country is true of any 



12 



THE ROOSEVELT HUNT. 



tropical land — "if a man hns any physical weakness, Africa is certain to find 
it out"; and it is generally accepted as the final word that no white man can 
maintain the strenuous life in Africa for more than five years. In spite of 
the liberal use of quinine, fevers and malaria laid low hundreds of railroad 
builders, while toward the lake terminus the silent, insidious tsetse flies 
inoculated many native workmen with the fatal Sleeping Sickness, 




A FINE LIONESS. 



But the man-eating lions were the supreme terror and scourge of the 
builders of the road, and they alone added to its cost more than a human life 
per mile. The greatest campaign conducted by the builders against the man- 
eaters was in the vicinity of Tsavo station, about 130 miles from Mombasa. 
After twenty-nine native workmen had been killed and eaten, and others 
attacked and badly mauled, three young railroad engineers side-tracked a car 
at a place near the station where a few^ days before a lion had sprung upon a 
slowly-moving train, like a flash seized a man in one of the open cars and 



THE ROOSEVELT HUNT. 13 

leaped with him (as a cat would carry a helpless mouse) into the jungle. The 
would-be avengers of this horror, and many like it, arranged to have one of 
their number on constant guard, with rifle in hand, ready to shoot the blood- 
thirsty prowlers at a moment's notice! The closed car was strongly built 
and, as the sentry on duty placed himself so as to always command the doors 
and windows, the risk was not considered great. But at the midnight watch 
young Ryal, overcome by the tropical heat, fell asleep, and the huge man- 
eater, who had kept even closer vigil than his human victim, crept through 
the half-open door, seized the sleeper in his great jaw^s and sprung through 
the glass of one of the windows into the jungle. Not long after, the picked 
and whitened bones of Ryal were found in the \'icinity. This death of a 
white engineer, under such circumstances, resulted in the organization of a 
great hunting party under J. H. Patterson, of the engineering corps, and 
among the lions killed was one identified as the slayer of Ryal; for in his hide, 
only recently healed, were found several pieces of window glass. 

SPECIAL OBJECTS OF THE EXPEDITION. 

The main preliminaries of the great Roosevelt expedition have been 
described ; in other words, the background and setting of the hunt have 
been placed in the picture. Special inquiries will then arise, naturally 
and legitimately. The first may be, what are the special objects of 
this expedition? The uninformed may imagine that it is only a jun- 
keting trip for the special recreation and amusement of the hearty ex- 
president. Roosevelt obtained a necessary outing and had his inning 
with the big African game, but the serious and special object of the 
expedition, as announced by Secretary Charles Walcott, of the Smith- 
sonian Institution, in December, 1908, is to gather specimens of natural 
history — beasts, birds, and plants — for the government museum em- 
braced by the institution named. The regular representatives of the 
Smithsonian Institution were Major Edgar A. Mearns, a retired officer 
of the medical corps of the United States Army, and Messrs. Edmund 
Heller and Alden Loring. Mr. Roosevelt was the general head of the 
expedition and R. J. Cunninghame was in active charge, being upon 
the grounds before the arrival of the main party, selecting porters, hunt- 
ing animals and a complete outfit. Mr. Cunninghame was both an ex- 
pert African hunter and had previously made collections in natural his- 
tory for the British Museum. Mr. Heller, a graduate of Stanford Uni- 
versity, was an expert taxidermist, and had traveled over both the 



14 THE ROOSEVELT HUNT. 

Americas in his expeditions for the Smithsonian Institution. Mr. Loring 
was also a thorough student of natural history. So that the personnel 
of the party representing its scientific spirit, was everything which 
could be desired in the matters of earnestness and efficiency. When 
F. C. Selous joined the expedition at Naples, Mr. Roosevelt and his 





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Copyright 1909, by an EXTRA FINE FEAST FOR THE BOYS. 

Underwood & Underwood. 

son Kermit had the privilege of meeting one of the most famous hunt- 
ers of African game in the world. Both he and Mr. Cunninghame, with 
the hosts who entertained the visiting Americans, saw to it that neither 
father nor son were placed in unnecessary danger. Notwithstanding 
which the Roosevelts repeatedly demonstrated their wonderful marks- 
manship and coolness. 



THE ROOSEVELT HUNT. 14A 

ROOSEVELT'S GUNS AND AMMUNITION. 

As was characteristic, Mr. Roosevelt proclaimed his positive nation- 
ality even in the matter of selecting the weapons and ammunition for 
his "safari," discarding even the standard British arms and entering the 
hunting grounds for big game with an American repeating rifle of far 
lighter bore than that in common use. It is known as the "forty caliber" 
and although thirty years ago it would have been considered suicidal 
for a sportsman to contend with lions, rhinoceri and buffaloes with such 
a "toy," improvements in high pressure, smokeless powder and bullets 
have rendered the rifle a most effective weapon for the strong-lived 
game of Africa. With the soft-pointed bullet to tear through the com- 
paratively tender hide of the lion and buffalo, opening out like an um- 
brella in its passage and making terrible gaps in its progress, and the 
keen pointed steel bullet for the tough rhinoceros or hippopotamus, the 
American rifle of .405 caliber and terrific smashing power proved its 
superiority on many a hotly contested hunting field. For lighter game, 
such as deer and gazelle. Colonel Roosevelt carried .303 caliber repeat- 
ing shot guns, popularly known as "thirties," and for feathered game he 
had two twelve-gauge repeating shot guns. His shot gun ammunition 
was specially loaded for him in brass shells, and the wads were care- 
fully covered with wax to be waterproof and prevent their swelling in 
the moist climate of the country. 

OFF ON THE ROOSEVELT SAFARI. 

Less than two days were spent by Mr. Roosevelt and his party at 
Mombasa, but they were sufficiently full of action even for the ex-presi- 
dent. Upon his arrival at the railroad station he found a guard of 
honor, composed of marines and blue jackets from the British cruiser 
"Pandora," drawn up to receive him, as well as various officials and 
civilians. The station was decorated with intertwined American and 
British flags. The ex-president was the special guest of F. J. Jack- 
son, acting governor of the protectorate, and in the evening the Mom- 
basa Club entertained him, with his son Kermit, Edmund Heller, F. C. 
Selous and R. F. Cunninghame. Major Mearns and J. Alden Loring, 
the other members of the party, had not disembarked from the "Ad- 
miral" on account of the heavy rains. Mr. Jackson, in proposing Mr. 



14B THE ROOSEVELT HUNT. 

Roosevelt's health, first read a cabled message of welcome from Kingj 
Edward, and then smilingly remarked that their honored visitor hadi 
left the "big stick" at home and had come out to Africa to make use of 
the rifle, concluding by promising him an immense variety of game and 
good sport. Mr. Roosevelt replied by praising the British people for 
letting light into the dark places of the earth, and for their wonderful 
work in East Africa. He expressed pleasure over every feature of his 
reception and briefly referred to his future plans. On the following 
morning the ex-president sent a telegram to the Emperor of Germany 
thanking him for the courtesies received aboard the "Hamburg," hav- 
ing previously thanked King Edward for his message of greeting. He 
then spent the remainder of the forenoon at the government house, 
while Mr. Cunninghame was flying around among the porters and other 
"articles" of the safari making final preparations, and the other mem- 
bers of the party were occupying their time, previous to the departure 
of the train for Kapiti Plains, in driving around the city. 




MOMBASA TO NAIROBI. 



OLD MOMBASA, OR THE BATTLE CITY. 

What did Roosevelt and his party see on the first Hmb of their trip over the 
Uganda railroad from Mombasa to Nairobi, which was for months the head- 
quarters of the great hunt, as it is of the great East Africa railroad line? 
During their short rest at Mombasa they saw a picturesque jumble of Old 
and New Africa in a town of 30,000 people — lithe, dignified Arabs, stout 
Soudanese, calm and swarthy Lidians, alert and often uniformed Somalis, 
stolid British officials and polite army and navy attaches — the native populace 
numbering some 29,500. From the shores of a low-lying and small island, 
at some distance from the Lidian Ocean, rises the white Moorish walls of Old 
Mombasa, Portuguese Mombasa, or "The Battle City." And well has it 
earned its native name ; but the sieges and counter-sieges which it sufifered at 
the hands of the Portuguese, who craved it as the great depot of the trade in 
ivory, skins, rubber and slaves, and of the Arabs, who naturally wished to 
hold it, came to an end when the Imperial British East African Company 
opened up the country, in 1887. It was surely time that the wars over its pos- 
session should cease, for they had been in evidence since the Portuguese 
first bombarded and looted the city in 1500. Portugal again destroyed it in 
1505, fortified and rebuilt it a few years later, and was expelled by the Arabs 

15 



16 MOMBASA TO NAIROBI. 

in 1586. Not many years after a Portuguese admiral battered the city to the 
ground ; next it was ravaged by an "irregular" savage tribe ; and Portugal 
returned in 1630 to construct the massive fortress whose ruins still overlook 
the sea. Next it was the turn of the Arabs, whose archers shot the garrison 
to death after its surrender. Another Portuguese fleet avenged the outrage, 
and in 1665 the fortress fell before the five months' siege of the Arabs. The 
Arabs held complete possession of the island from 1698 to 1826, when the 
Sultan of Zanzibar, after four years of terrific warfare, conquered the Battle 
City and adjoining territory. Then followed over fifty years of wars and 
feuds in which Mombasa was dragged back and forth, wrenched and tortured 
in every joint, until the coming of peace and order under the protection of 
Great Britain ; and now what is left of the old Portuguese fort overlooks the 
mansions and bungalows of European officials and merchants, surrounded by 
large and elegant gardens. 



NEW MOMBASA, THE BRITISH CAPITAL. 

New, or British, Mombasa, which lies nearer the ocean than the old, con- 
tains also the government buildings and the cathedral. A noticeable feature 
of the modern town is the intricate network of tramways, which not only 
cover the chief thoroughfares, but branch off to every house; and coolies are 
seen everywhere, pushing along the private cars which transport the aristo- 
cratic Europeans to and from their offices. Although the two or three hotels 
in Mombasa are but indifferent, there is an excellent club, which is patronized 
by Englishmen, Americans and travelers in general. The East India Bank is 
also an important feature of the modern city. New Mombasa has a hearty 
welcome for white visitors, but, unfortunately, possesses no harbor worthy of 
the name. Some two miles to the southeast, however, is a sister port of 
Kilindini, whose harbor affords anchorage for ships of the largest tonnage 
and which even rivals the far-famed Delagoa Bay in Southeast or Portu- 
guese Africa. Kilindini harbor, therefore, first receives the important pas- 
sengers and cargoes destined for British East Africa and Mombasa. The 
trade in ivory and hides has also gone to the more convenient port, and it is 
not beyond the possible to foresee a shifting of the government headquarters 
and the railroad terminus to this admirable commercial center. 



MOMBASA TO NAIROBI. 17 

CLIMBING THE DESERT OF TARU TO VOL 

From the Indian Ocean the Uganda railroad chmbs steadily to the high 
northwestern plateaus at Nairobi ; and more than one hundred and fifty miles 
beyond, wliere it reaches its extreme elevation of more than 8,300 feet above 
sea level. The train pulls out of Mombasa, glides past the large freight depots 
and docks at Kilindini, and in a few minutes is thundering over the seventeen 
hundred feet of iron bridge which spans the strait between the city and the 
mainland. 

The nine miles of road intervening from this point to Mazeras station 
takes the traveler through a country of cocoanut palms and mangoes and 
along the route are well-kept Indian plantations, neat Wayganika and Swahili 
cottages and villages, and other evidences of New Africa and the civilizing 
effects of the modern raih oad. Tlie entire narrow belt of country between the 
coast and Alazcras station, which marks the commencement of a desert 
country, is seen to be lined in every direction with little brown paths leading 
from the open places into the copse or jungle, or toward the palisades enclosing 
native huts, the larger collections of which are called, by courtesy, villages. 

TARU DESERT AND OLD CARAVAN ROUTE. 

From Mazeras to Voi, the distance is ninety- four miles, and as the native 
farms and villages of this pretty belt of country, interspersed with remnants 
of forest growth, are left behind the road enters the dreary waste known as 
the desert of Taru. It is true that patches of dry grass, or thorny growths, 
are scattered over its surface ; but as Roosevelt and his- fellow travelers viewed 
from the comfortable seats in the speeding train the old caravan road stretch- 
ing ahead for mile after mile over this- juiceless and sandy plain, they were 
doubtless thankful that they were living in the new days. The desert is bv no 
means destitute of animal life, herds of gazelles, packs of jackals, a prowling 
hvena, and an occasional leopard or lion, moving unconcernedly over its sur- 
face. But it by no means compares with the natural zoo which is offered 
further to the North. 

GLORIOUS MOUNT KILIMANJARO. 

At Voi, one hundred and three miles from Mombasa — about a third of the 
distance to Nairobi — the government has provided a comfortable bungalow 
for the accommodation of tourists who may wish to stop off and trek it, one 



18 MOMBASA TO NAIROBI. 

hundred miles to the Northwest, to that splenchd ghttering- and bnrnished 
cone, seen from Voi, like a shimmering Ijlaze in the clouds and known to 
lovers of nature as one of her most glorious exhibitions. Geographers call it 
Mt. Kilimanjaro and describe it as the highest peak in Africa, 19,200 feet 
above Mombasa at the sea. "The Mountain of the Spirit Njaro" appeals to 
all the unbounded superstitions of the native African; and well it may. A 
good government road leads from the railroad to the very base of the moun- 
tain, if the tourist decides to make the trip. If taken afoot, especially in the 
hot season, it is a most trying walk ; but it is nothing compared to the ascent 
of the mountain itself — the climbing from a heat of some iio'^ Fahrenheit, 
through forests of bamboo and cacti, into the region of gradually thinning 
vegetation, to the rocks and eternal sr»ows and glaciers, whose radiant reflec- 
tions are seen from Mombasa, Voi and Nairobi. The scaling of the very 
summit has l:)een accomplished only two or three times in the world's history. 

HOW. THE GAME IS KILLED IN THE RESERVES. 

Near Tsavo, the first station beyond Voi, on both sides of the line conv 
mences the great game reserves of the British government, extending on the 
north for some 230 miles to the vicinity of the dizzy escarpment, or cliff, over 
which the line almost pitches into the grand Rift Valley. But this is taking 
time by the forelock indeed, since the Roosevelt train has but just pulled out 
of Voi and is speeding through the grounds in which the big game of the land 
find refuge and safetv from human hunters. From human hunters, yes ; but 
the reserves are the slaughter pens of the small or peaceable game l)y the big 
and ferocious animals. Thousands of tiny soft-eyed antelope, mottled sleek- 
coated zebras and long-legged, long-necked ostriches feed over the plains of 
jungle grass, broken by hills and mounds and wander fearlessly close tO' the 
tracks. The stately giraffe is also seen abroad, with his sinuous neck moving 
around in the tree tops, like the animated trunk of a slender date palm, ^^d^ile 
they thus swarm in seemingly conscious security in these reserves, the lions, 
leopards, hyenas and jackals gather in the same district and there satisfy their 
blood-thirsty appetites. Seeming to fully realize its exemption from attack 
at the hands of human kind, game of every description is continually crossing 
the tracks. It may be a stately lion, or lion, lioness and cubs; a creeping, 
snaky-looking leopard; or even a large herd of elephants traveling from the 
bamboo forests of Mount Kilimanjaro to more northern feeding grounds 
In the last case the train slackens its speed and may even be brought to a full 



MOMBASA TO NAIROBI. 



19 



stop. If smaller game is in the way — well, accidents will happen, and the 
average engineer on the Uganda railroad is like others of his brotherhood, 
anxious to be on time. Game is therefore frequently killed by locomotives, 
and it is said that its engineers, switchmen, station masters and even section 




Copyright 1909, by National Magazine. 



ZEBRA ATTACKED BY A LION. 



hands are prone to take greater chances for accidents, by running over ani- 
mals which interfere with them, than most railroad men in civilized countries. 
They claim that otherwise the Uganda railroad would always be a slow, unre- 
liable, unprogressive concern, and of no great use to either travelers or 
commerce. 



20 MOMBASA TO NAIROBI. 

FROM VOI TO KAPITI PLAINS. 

The country north of the Uganda Raih-oad from Voi to Makindu, 
two hunch'ed and tifty miles from Mombasa, is a jungle of plains broken 
by grassy hills, and is but preparatory to the fresher stretches of the 
Kapiti plains and the Athi district. From Tsavo to the Kapiti plains, a 
distance of one hundred and fifty miles, there is no white settlement. 
North of the track and beyond Kapiti the settlers are widely scattered 
through a belt of forty miles. 

Occasionally, on the trail, a safari will pass a native village, the 
chief of which usually attempts to hold up the head man for "hongu," 
which may be interpreted as either blackmail or presents — according to 
the manner of the chief or the temper of the head man. The Roosevelt 
party, and all other expeditions \\hich expect to do much traveling 
afoot, laid in a good stock of trinkets in order to save vexatious conten- 
tions with these persistent chiefs, and also to be prepared to barter them 
for the agreeable articles of food as may often be obtained of the native 
villagers — articles both of native raising and compounding. Aromatic 
honey, sweet potatoes, sugar cane, pumpkins, Indian corn and the ever 
present banana are not to be despised on a long "safari," when the party 
is a little short of provisions of its own. Better still, the wdiite cook 
may pound the corn into a meal, fry it in butter and make a really appe- 
tizing cake. The natives themselves often mash and boil the green 
banana, wdiich, although uninvitingly black and mushy to look at, is 
wholesome and pleasant to the taste. Mr. Roosevelt and his expedi- 
tion did not reject this sticky, looking mess entirely — l)ut, as a rule, they 
preferred food whose appearance was a better recommendation for 
its flavor. 

THE GREAT HUNT STARTED. 

Mr. Roosevelt and his party left IVIombasa for Kapiti Plains at 2:30 
P. M., April 22nd, accompanied by Acting Governor Jackson, their im- 
mediate destination, after they left the railroad, being the splendid 
ranch of Sir Alfred Pease on the Athi River, in the midst of the beauti- 
ful Kapiti Plains. It was in the prime of the season for lion hunting. 
The big rains were well over; the plains were waving with short crisp 
grass, and such cool breezes were playing through it that the lions roved 
freely abroad, instead of seeking cover to escape the tropical sun. Al- 
though Sir Alfred's place is called the Theki ostrich farm, from the very 



MOMBASA TO NAIROBI. 21 

fact that it comprises one of the biggest and most scientific breeding 
grounds for these birds in East Africa, both it and the surrounding 
country have the reputation of being unexcelled as a resort for the 
tawny-maned cat. Covered with short grass and devoid eVen of 
bushes, Kapiti plains are seamed with ravines, filled with wxeds, reeds 
and thorns — with here and there pools of sweet water, which are very 
magnets to the Kings either in the cool or hot seasons. Nature 
specially designated the "Theki ostrich farm" as the ideal launching 
grounds for the big hunt. 

But its generous proprietor and royal host had by no means left 
the success of this step of the expedition to nature. For weeks he 
had been arranging for the coming of Roosevelt, and had even built a 
beautiful substantial bungalow for the reception of the chief and his 
associates. It is needless to add that they gratefully occupied it for a 
short time before setting out on their exciting and successful hunt. The 
bungalow had been christened "Kitanga" ; it has a tin roof, with outer 
walls of gray granite blocks ; and its central living and dining room and 
four bedrooms are divided by walls of sun-dried Ijrick. 

The first night of the Roosevelt expeditions in Africa was passed 
in tents near the railway station at Kapiti plains, and was April 22nd. 
The next morning the "Mombasa Standard" published a violent attack 
on Acting Governor J''. ;kson and Mr. Roosevelt for alleged partiality, 
for American journalists, who were said to be favored with passage on 
the special train to Kapiti Plains and English newspaper men excluded. 
The charges were found to be groundless, but created a little feeling of 
uneasiness for the time being. It was the intention to leave at once 
for the Pease ranch, but it was discovered that some of the baggage 
sent by the Smithsonian Institution had been left at Mombasa, and the 
expedition therefore pitched camp near the railroad station. Mr. Cun- 
ninghame sent back for the missing goods and Messrs. Roosevelt, Jack- 
son, Selous, et. al., proceeded to prepare for a preliminary small-game 
hunt. Colonel Roosevelt arose early the morning of the 23rd, and his 
high spirits continued even after he learned of the grilling he had re- 
ceived by the Mombasa newspaper. He proceeded at once to look 
over his outfit and consult Mr. Selous about hunting plans. Before 
he had started Kermit came in with a dead buck which he had shot, 
thus forestalling his strenuous father. With the assistance of Mr. Selous 
and a red handkerchief, Colonel Roosevelt then succeeded in bringing 



22 MOMBASA TO NAIROBI. 

down two wildbeests and a Thompson's gazelle. But the thoughts and 
eyes of the ex-president and present hunter of big game were turned 
toward Sir Alfred Pease's ostrich farm and its roaming lions. The 
next day the Roosevelt expedition broke camp and arrived at "Kitanga" 
in the midst of a tropical rain ; but aside from their comfortable hous- 
ing, the most complete arrangements had been made for their comfort, 
so that the next day found all in prime condition for the formal opening 
of the hunt. Another day passed, and the ex-president had only a 
Grant's gazelle and a couple of bucks to his credit, although there were 
the unmistakable roarings and other evidences that lions were abroad 
in the country around. The next morning the caravan proceeded toward 
the Mau hills where its camp was pitched. Another day, with only small 
game bagged; but great work accomplished by Kermit's camera and 
by Messrs. Loring and Heller in the cause of science. Mr. Selous ac- 
companied the ex-president on his first lion hunt and killing. The 
native beaters first discovered three lions, and while two bounded ofT 
into the high grass the third charged, and was shot in the air by Colonel 
Roosevelt. The next hunt called for more patience in tracking his 
lordship, the lion evidently taking to the river bed. But the beast was 
finally located and driven out into the open by the ])eaters, and was 
shot through the heart by the American as the animal was making one 
of those famous whirlwind charges described as "the swiftest thing 
on earth." Following the advice of Cunninghame, Selous, Pease and 
other experienced lion hunters, Mr. Roosevelt had been careful to have 
his pony led some distance behind, as the latter is apt to make some 
noise, such as snorting or stamping, to alarm the lion. Another reason 
for this rule : The lion is very fond of horse meat of every description, 
the sight of a sleek zebra or a fat Somali pony often inviting him to a 
furious attack when otherwise he would give his followers a wide berth. 
Before the sun had set on this 30th day of April, 1909, Mr. Roosevelt's 
good American rifle had brought three lions to earth, and each on the 
first shot, while Kermit had proved his relationship by killing one of 
the big beasts. Both father and son were jubilant as their first lion hunt 
had exceeded all expectations. All the lions were of normal size and 
after the natives had dragged them together in the grass they executed 
the usual picturesque and weird dances around the trophies. It is said 
that Sir Alfred Pease made an effective sketch of Mr. Roosevelt as he 
was shooting his first lion over the shoulder of a native gunbearer, at 



MOMBASA TO NAIROBI. 23 

a distance of sixty yards. Two days after the red letter 30tli of April 
he bagged another lion at Wami, near Kapiti Plains, and upon this 
occasion his quick work at close range perhaps saved the lives of some 
of his mounted escort who were being charged by the infuriated beast. 
It is certain, with all the safeguards thrown around him, that he gave 
repeated instances, during the first week of the real hunt, of wonderful 
nerve, and that he aroused general admiration at his accurate marks- 
manship. 

The Roosevelt party remained on the great Pease ranch for about 
three weeks, during which period the Colonel killed four lions, two 
rhinos, two giraffes, two wildbeests and one Thompson's gazelle, while 
Kermit bagged two lions, one cheetah, one giraffe and one wildbeest. 
While all the members of the expedition were bitten by ticks, none 
developed the dreaded fever. But several cases of smallpox were dis- 
covered among the porters. Otherwise, all was serene until the ex- 
pedition commenced temporarily to scatter. Mr. Roosevelt and his 
son prepared to hunt another kind of game on the famous Juja ranch 
of W. N. McMillan, east of Nairobi. There were especially sought 
the impalla, buffalo, wart hog and waterbuck, and the Roosevelts were 
accompanied to the McMillan grounds by P. H. Percival, brother of 
Major Percival, one of the assistant game wardens, and Clifford Hill, 
who was once associated with the Pease ostrich farm and now, with 
his cousin, conducts one of his own. They are both great lion hunters 
as well as ostrich breeders; are English colonists who have never seen 
England ; bred in South Africa ; ex-soldiers of the Boer war and 
emigrants to East Africa. 

EROM KAPITI PLAINS TO NAIROBI. 

The country from Kapiti plains to Nairobi is a gradual melting into 
the more rolling and less seamed surface of the x\thi river district. It 
is the approach to the region of fine plantations and the threshold of 
those wonderful grounds so interesting and thrilling both to the 
scientists'and sportsmen of the Roosevelt party. Toward the east and 
the north, the land is simply a vast spill-over for the teeming game 
reserves to the south. 

At this stage of the Roosevelt expedition many rare birds as well 
as fine zoological specimens had been obtained for the Smithsonian 
Institution, and while they are being prepared for shipment to the 



24 MOMBASA TO NAIROBI. 

United States, it is a good opportunity to briefly note the special and 
less known victims of the Roosevelt rities and shotguns; also to describe 
one of the most enterprising and modern cities of Africa, which for 
several months, was to be the nucleus of the expedition. The big game 
country in all its glory was yet to be entered beyond Nairobi, and the 
Kings of beasts which make it their home will be treated in their logical 
order. The most interesting smaller game bagged by the party up to 
this point, were the wildbeest, impalla, water buck, Thompson's and 
Grant's gazelles and the wart hog. 

The species of wildl)eest bagged bv the Roosevelt expedition is the 
white-bearded gnu, the only kind now common to East Africa. Its 
general appearance is familiar. If the genus is ever exterminated, the 
linal undoing of the l)east can be traced to its inordinate curiosity, which 
it shares in common with the antelope and gazelle; but the trait is most 
abnormally developed in the wildbeest. The animals go in herds of from 
twenty to fifty, and as they prefer such open, sunny ground as the 
Kapiti and Athi plains, they stand out more ponderous than they really 
are, hunters not infrequently mistaking them for diinos at a distance. 
The bulls exhibit the same fury toward red as the domesticated article 
and although they are stupid looking beasts, as they stand motionless in 
the open plain with the hot sun shining down on them, they are really 
so alert that other species of game will often impress an old bull who 
has no herd of his own kind to do sentry duty. When a herd of wild- 
beests is disturbed, the animals usually go off at a lumbering gallop 
which takes them over the ground at a pace which usually puts the 
best horse to shame. When in motion their tails rapidly vibrate, which 
is also a peculiarity of the galloping giraffe. 

The impalla and water buck, of which both Mr. Roosevelt and 
Kermit obtained some fine specimens, are among the most graceful of 
African antelopes. They are generally found together — the impalla 
with slim l)odies of bright red with beautiful spreading horns, and the 
water buck with long shaggy hair of a less pronounced red, with a 
bolder sweep of the horns. The old African hunters who were with 
Mr. Roosevelt were well aware that the impalla and water buck have 
been classed as the most regular in their habits of all known animals. 
In this particular they give an exhibition of instinct which is among 
the most remarkal)le in the animal world. 




ROOSEVELT HUNTING GROUNDS 



Eastward from Xairohi, l)et\vecn the Athi and Tana rivers and for 
miles around Mount Kenia. is the great region which has weh been termed 
the paradise of hunters for Ijig game. It is a country so varied in surface 
and soil — presenting jungles, dry plains, grassy hills, rocky steeps, wooded 
streams — that no variety of famous game is without a home and retreat. 
Even the monkeys have their inaccessible grounds in the region of Mount 
Kenia. 



NAIROBI AS THE GREAT OUTFITTING POINT. 

Naturally, Nairobi is the central point for the final organization and out- 
fitting of the hunting expeditions, or caravan parties (safari), and in the 
busy season (say from December to March) it is nothing unusual to see two 
or three starting out daily. The caravans are also arriving from the East and 
Southeast, some even overhauling the train and obtaining more modern trans- 
port than afoot, the poiters loaded down with antelope meat, elephant tusks, 
lion skins, and other trophies of the chase. On the same train which pulls 
into Nairobi may be a refrigerator car packed with ice, fresh sea fish and 
foreign fruits and vegetables. These are probably consigned to some Euro- 
pean or Hindu merchant — nnjst likely the latter — who will easily dispose of 
his stock to the hotels, the thousand or more English, German and American 
residents, or the aristocratic and, at the same time, democratic plantation 

owners to the East. 

25 



26 



ROOSEVELT HUNTING GROUNDS. 



HOSPITABLE PLANTERS OF THE HUNTERS' PARADISE. 

To these great estates, some of them many thousand acres in extent, good 
roads lead across country from the railroads, some hundred miles in all direc- 
tions. Not only does this new landed aristocracy make some attempt at rais- 





I'm-. "■.■■''■■-' •■ ■ 







Copyright 1909, by 
Underwood & Underwood. 



WATERFALL — TANA RIVER DISTRICT. 



ing potatoes and European fruits and vegetables, but strongly corraled cattle 
as well, and it has been prophesied that, with the gradual moulding of the 
natives into industrious and skilled agriculturists this region and other sec- 
tions to the Northwest will become great producers of cotton. The frontier 



ROOSEVELT HUNTING GROUNDS. 



27 



post of British civilization northeast from Nairobi, and the virtual termination 
of this hunters' paradise, is Fort Hall, on the Tana river, nearly opposite 
j\Iount Kenia and about ninety miles from the railroad. It is a supply station 
for the hunters of the region, an emblem also of British authority, and is the 
terminus of the telegraphic and telephonic system, which centers at Nairobi. 
Excluding the African game from the picture and some other features of the 
landscape, one might well imagine that he was among well-to-do Western 
farmers of the. United States. But as the East African host arises from a 







HIPPOPOTAMI BASKING IN THE SUN. 



good dinner adapted to English, German or American taste, takes polite leave 
of My Lady, adjourns to the smoking room, leisurely finishes a Havana, takes 
his rifle from the walls, hands another to his guest, and then adjourns to the 
broad veranda to see if any lions, leopards or wildebeests are in sight — it is 
then quite certain that we are in New Africa. 

Wise man that he was, Theodore Roosevelt chose such agreeable and 
favorable surroundings as these to extend his knowledge of the wild beasts 
of the world, and enjoy the excitement and the healthful exercise of the chase. 



28 ROOSEVELT HUNTING GROUNDS. 

T\\Q intimation is not to be conveyed for a moment that he was any parlor 
hunter. But who would refuse the friendship and hospitahty of such men as 




Copyright 1909, by Underwood & Underwood. 

CURING STRIPS OF ANTELOPE MEAT AFTER A HUNT. 

Lieutenant E. W. Jackson, in charge of the British game reserves, and acting 
governor of the protectorate; of Sir Alfred Pease, whose plantation is near 
Mackakos and the Athi river, about thirty miles southeast of Nairobi; or of 



ROOSEVELT HUNTING GROUNDS. 29 

William N. McMillan, of St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America? 
The last named, one of the expert hunters of Africa, is proprietor of a plan- 
tation of 20,000 acres in. the great Athi plains, twenty-two miles east of 
Nairobi, his vast estate of big game being modestly called Juja Farm. All of 
t.iese gallant landlords, wiih their ladies and others, were proud to entertain 
the ex-President and point his party in the right directions for game, and, 
of all men, Theodore Roosevelt was the most ready to be thoroughly pleased 
with their kindness and helpfulness. Mr. McMillan is the special patron 
(saint) of the American sportsman, and, as one of his guests has put the 
matter: "At the African home of my American host, all East African game 
is abundant except rhinoceros and elephant, sable, roan antelope and oryx ; 
but the last are to be had by a journey of from tw^o to five days (to the Mount 
Kenia region). Hundreds of game animals are nearly always in sight from 
the veranda of the house. I have lighted a cigarette in my room at daylight, 
gone forth and killed a big wildebeest bull before the cigarette was con- 
sumed. In fact, the 20,000 acres of Juja Farm so swarm with game after 
the rains that before the dry season is half over the grass is eaten as short as 
on an overcrowded cattle range ; and all from the overflow of the great 
game reserves north and south of us. Notwithstanding their great numbers, 
it takes marksmanship to get game on the Athi plains ; for they are bare of 
cover and it is unusual to get a shot at anything except lion or hippopotamus 
short of from three to six hundred yards." Further east toward and beyond 
the Tana rivers and around Mount Kenia are to be found the other kinds of 
game which were hunted and shot by the Roosevelt party — the elephant, dur- 
ing the dry season in the dense mountain thickets and, during the rains, in 
the bush and long grass country ; hippopotami in the rivers in the daytime, 
or along the banks from dusk to morning; rhinoceros in c\-ery unexpected 
place ; antelope generally on the open plains ; little dik-dik, leaping through 
th.e long grass ; leopards everywhere, but as elusi^'e as snakes ; reedbuck in the 
scrub of steep rocky hills; lions prowling w'herever their game abounds, seek- 
ing especially the zebra and all the equine kind ; and the buffalo, in dark 
swamps and forests, or concealed in high elephant grass. With these de- 
scriptions, the reader should be able to form a mind picture of the hunting 
grounds over which Roosevelt ranged for several months, with the sportsmen 
and naturalists of his party, under the general and skillful guidance of Mr. 
Cunninghame. At this point in the narrative it seems desirable to describe, 
somewhat in detail, the beautiful and surprising gems of landscape to be seen 
in the Mount Kenia region, the eastern limits of the Roosevelt hunt. 



30 ROOSEVELT HUNTING GROUNDS. 

BETWEEN NAIROBI AND FORT HALL. 

A good road for carriages, wagons or automobiles — and you see 
them all — runs from Nairobi, via Fort Hall and Embo, to the wonder- 
ful region of which Mount Kenia is the center. Embo is twenty-eight 
miles from Fort Hall and is the most distant military post which the 
British have established in that direction. Fort Hall is nearly opposite 
Mount Kenia, south of the Tana River, and Embo lies to the southeast 
of that wonderful dome of nature. 

The road which takes one to these outposts passes through a varied 
country, often wild and seamed with gorges in its first stages, but gen- 
erally fertile and well watered by various tributaries of the Athi and 
Tana rivers. The spacious colonial estates, or ranches, are scattered 
along the route for thirty or forty miles from Nairobi. One farm may 
grow cofTee — which is such a luxuriant crop — and on the next estate 
may be herded together, by a native child or full-grown, a miscellaneous 
but placid assortment of ostriches, sheep and cattle. A complete dairy 
farm is liable to be in operation in the vicinity; also a truck garden pro- 
ducing sweet potatoes, Indian corn, beans and other vegetables may 
adjoin it. At one place is to be found a plucky English family grap- 
pling with a ten-thousand acre farm, their neighbor an old Boer, who, 
after having treked the length of Africa to avoid the British flag, now 
stolidly smokes his pipe by his grass house, tends to his small herd of 
indifferent looking cattle ; in his way, is hospitable to his British co- 
workers, and eager enough to show the tourist what he knows about 
the whereabouts of lions. 

About half a day's safari from Fort Hall, where the Chania and Thika 
rivers effect a juncture with the main stream of the Tana, is a beautiful 
meadowy tract within sight and hearing of fine plunging waterfalls, and 
the locality is one of the favorite camping grounds for lion hunters. It 
is an agreeable programme, after indulging in the sport the first half of 
the day, to spend the afternoon in a ride to Fort Hall, through a green, 
comparatively smooth and pleasant country. There will be found the 
commissioner's house, w'itli a ditch around it, a jail, an Indian bazaar 
and a few houses for the militia and police. If the visitor is fortunate, 
he will arrive while a great gathering of Kikuku chiefs, warriors and 
women is loudly discussing the dance of the following morning. He 
will then accept the commissioner's invitation to stay over night. In the 




Copyright 1909, by Underwood & Underwood. 

WARRIORS, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN, AT FORT HALL WAITING TO GREET THE GREAT AMERICAN, 

AND PARADE AND DANCE IN HIS HONOR. 31 



32 ROOSEVELT HUNTING GROUNDS. 

morning, long l^efore daylight, the whole space in front of the fort is 
packed with almost naked warriors, while the beating of drums, the 
blowing of horns and the chanting of voices in a crude rhythm fully 
awakes all would-be sight seers to the coming war dance. And when 
the "indaba'' does begin, later in the morning, it is a sight to be remem- 
bered. The pack of plumed, squirming, gyrating, yelling warriors, their 
hair and chocolate colored bodies smeared with red earth and glistening 
with the slimy juice of the castor bil plant; legs and arms encircled with 
twdsted wire or heavier iron ornaments ; leopard skins waving from their 
shoulders, and their broad cowhide or rhinoceros shields, painted with 
tribal emblems, and long spears clashing together, as particular chiefs 
advance and retreat in the dance, or as gifts of live sheep and bulls are 
brought forward into the arena— these are the weird features of the exhi- 
bition. The laughable side of the picture is the obvious fondness of the 
African warrior for any European article of clothing, which he proudly, 
parades before his people — an old pair of trousers, a torn jacket, 
a weather-stained uniform, a ragged umbrella or battered helmet. j\Iix- 
ing such articles as -these with their time-honored ostrich plumes, capes 
of leopard skin, belts of monkey fur and metal anklets and bracelets, is a 
characteristic but still ludicrous mingling of New and Old Africa. 

ON TO THE EXTREME EASTERN POST. 

The road to Embo is through a beautiful country well cultivated by 
the natives, and the thoroughfare itself is maintained In' them (under 
the supervision of the district commissioner) in such good shape that a 
bicycle could take to it without fear of a puncture. The Tana is crossed 
by a ferry, which travels along a rope impelled by the current of the 
river. This' convenience is only for such human kind as Colonel Roose- 
velt and his party; their ponies have to swim the sixty yards of foaming 
water, reddened by washings from the soil. From the further bank is 
obtained a noble view of ]\Iount Kenia, gradually rising from its great 
base to an -altitudeTttVle--slTCrff-of-KilimaiTJ-arcr. ---Ail-along the road smil- 
ing, peaceable natives meet the traveler with extended hand — in the 
other a spear or sword— and the only real danger to be feared is the mad, 
sudden and unaccountal)le charge of some hidden buffalo. Embo is at 
length reached. It consists of a one-story, three-roomed stone house 
containing quarters for the commissioner and military ofificer, as well 



ROOSEVELT HUNTING GROUNDS. 33 

as a jail ; two Indian bazaars built of corrugated iron, and several rows 
of grass huts for the 150 soldiers and police on duty. Embo stands 
for the authority which keeps in subjection 75,000 natives, most of them 
little beyond savagery. Its terrible jail consists of a tiny room, seldom 
occupied by a prisoner except as a comfortable sleeping place. Now 
that the native tribes are pacified the soldiers have little to do, while the 
police are mainly concerned with the enforcement of the game laws. The 
civil authorities stationed at Embo and Fort Hall have under their eyes 
the Mount Kenia region, which is wonderful both for its beauties as well 
as zoological variety. 

A BABOON'S PARADISE. 

Perhaps the first noteworthy feature of the approach to Mount Kem'a 
is the bright colors of the fiowers — blue, yellow, pink and crimson. After 
a rain the velts are covered with these little beauties, which protest 
against the general charge that an East African landscape is almost 
colorless. As the blue-wooded ridges skirting the mountain unfold in 
detail, the stunted jumper appears and higher still the wild olive grows 
along the river banks. Still miles away from the actual base of Kenia, 
approaching from the northwest, the traveler enters a tract which has 
never been better described than in the following: "The level counti-y 
is thickly sov/n for twenty-five miles with great masses of red granite, 
outcroppings of the same formation. A Celt would say that the devil 
or the giants had been at war or play in the old days, and that these 
rocks were the mighty sling-stones they had hurled from the mountains 
at each other. Some of them are one hundred feet high, some nearer 
four hundred feet ; all are imposing. Round their rocky bases the grass 
grows so smooth and fresh it might be a carefully tended lawn. Some- 
times the dust of the great stones must have added a richness to the 
soil ; and the sward, smooth still, has buried their broad bases for some 
feet under its carpet. Then the prairie falls away from one, and rises 
gently towards the next in curves and dips of green. They are half a 
mile apart, or only fifty yards, as it may be. Some rise sheer and steep 
with no crack or crevice for bush or vine. On some dwarfed wild fig 
trees climb and cling. All are of a rich red granite, and the sides and 
crowns shine and glisten gloriously in the light of the rising and set- 
ting sun. In the highest and most inaccessible, great troops of little 



34 ROOSEVELT HUNTING GROUNDS. 

gray monkeys have found the safest of hiding-places and of homes. 
There no climbing serval, cat or leopard can do them harm, and up and 
down the sheer sides of the cliffs they race and play — they look just like 
flies walking on the ceiling; not like animals at all. 

"As I got nearer still to the densely wooded country that lies before 
me, the masses of rock gradually soften their outline and merge them- 
selves in higher and more regular hills and ridges, always covered with 
greenery, that rise up and up till they meet the great flanks of Kenia. 
The sun was now high in the heaven — yet the vapors still clung among 
these purple-blue foothills. In other lands you see the clouds rise up 
slowly, steadily from the woodland. Here sometimes they have a way 
of rising all their own — the breeze bids them be going, but they linger 
and cling as it were to their home of the night that is over." 

GREAT HUNTING GROUNDS OF LAIKIPIA PLAINS. 

The above is from the pen of Dr. W. S. Rainsford, a former New 
York clergyman, who has tracked and killed big game all over the 
grounds covered by the Roosevelt expedition, from Mount Elgon, above 
Lake Victoria Nyanza, to the Mount Kenia region. In one day's 
approach to that glorious mountain, through various tracts of beauties 
and surprises, he records a sudden stumbling on two rhinos among the 
bush; in his circuit to avoid them, running into an ostrich family hid- 
den in a gr.lly ; a striking view of seven giraffes twining their necks and 
feeding among the topmost boughs of a thorn tree; meeting herds of 
oryx on the plains, and footprints of lions, elephants and antelopes cross- 
ing his path in all directions; and the noiseless crawling of a huge croco- 
dile from a river sand bank into the yellow stream. Finally comes a 
stretch of curving, green meadows pressing up to the mountain forests 
of Mount Kenia. Dense -as these are, with giant bamboo more than 
sixty feet in height, they have been penetrated to the bare uplands, ten 
thousand feet above. Herds of elephant and buffalo are common in 
these almost untrodden mountain solitudes ; but the chosen home of 
the rhinoceros is along the dry and barren slopes of the Guaso Nyiro 
River, covered with cactus growths. 

In these terrible cactus jungles of the Laikipia Plains have occurred 
some of the most narrow escapes, and also the most awful deaths, of 
rhinoceros hunters. Further away from the river are favorite grounds 



ROOSEVELT HUNTING GROUNDS. 



35 



for various kinds of antelope and fairly out on the veldt, between the 
wooded hills and the plains which stretch to Mount Kenia is found 
great numbers of the noble African antelope known as the oryx. His 
special haunt is a few miles up the Guaso Nyiro River, above its junc- 



y 'i-^;m^{ 



^Ssi^fiiiiiffm^ 






V, ,>V'' A J 












Copyright 1909, by Underwood & Underwood. 

HEADWATERS OF GUASO NYIRO THE HUNTER'S PARADISE. 



ture with the Giiaso Narak and among the red granite kopjes which rise 
from the Laikipia Plains. This is a lion country also; and it is no 
unusual sight to see a dead king of beasts impaled on the long sharp 
horns of the oryx, which also lies dead beside his victim. Further, the 
headwaters of the Guaro Nyiro River are said to embrace one of the 
greatest buffalo grounds in East Africa. 



36 ROOSEVELT HUNTING GROUNDS. 

WHERE TO FIND THE COLOBUS MONKEY. 

In this secluded region of clear sweet water, great juniper trees, 
stately ferns and wide-spreading chestnuts, the chattering parrots and 
monkeys also hold high carnival. This special land of canyons and 
l)Otanic luxuriance has been selected by the shy and pretty colobus 
monkey as his own. The region around Kijabe, where the Roosevelt 
hunters shot their first specimens of this species, is virtually deserted in 
comparison with the tropical tangles around the headwaters of the Guaso 
Nyiro. In the early morning the cry of the colobus sounds through 
these dense woodlands, like the rapid grinding of a coffee mill. There 
he sits on a high branch of a juniper so as to be well in the sun, drying 
his fine coat of wdiite and black and his long snowy tail, after his night's 
sleep in the dewy depths of the woods. It seems a pity to end his little 
life, even for the sake of the Smithsonian Institution, or in the world- 
wide interest of natural history. 

TRACKING THE BIG GAME. 

The true modern hunter hnds his greatest excitement in the "chase," 
however great his satisfaction may be in overtaking the big game and 
bringing it to earth ; and in skilful tracking, although the native's services 
are usually brought into use, the white hunter is often able to give away 
])oints and still beat the black man at the game he has been playing for 
generations. AA'ith all hfs wonderful keenness of the senses, in which 
he runs so close a race with the big game itself, the black tracker lacks 
the general intelligence of the white to draw the correct conclusion from 
wdiat he sees, hears and smells. But l)y using the black hunter as his 
tool, his extra hand, the wliite sportsman gets a combination which lion, 
rhino, buftalo, hippo, wildbeest or antelope find hard to ])eat. This 
was the union which made the Roosevelt expedition so effective. 

In running down their big game the old hunters in the party, such 
as Selous and Cunninghame. were able to distinguish the animals from 
its spoor or track, as readily as the best natives in the party. They had 
not only seen them in manv countries, and on all kinds of soil, ])ut had 
even studied their forms in dozens of books illustrated with reproduced 
])hotographs. Each nati\-e could judge only from his limited experience. 
First, the white hunter realizes that he should learn to distinguish the 
track of a full-grown bull of anv species, as the game laws so jealously 



ROOSEVELT HUNTING GROUNDS. 37 

guard the female and her young. Usually the tracks of the female are 
smaller, while those of the young have an unformed appearance. It 
is also remembered by the expert that the same spoor will look differ- 
ently on hard or soft ground, clayey or sandy soil, and according to the 
action of the animal when he leaves his tracks — whether he is walkinir, 
trotting or galloping. If the ground is very gritty, the shallow impress 
left by the big game is invisible when viewed from above, although it 
may be seen obliquely several yards away. The hunter governs him- 
self accordingly when he comes across this kind of soil. If the ground 
is very rocky, no actual track may be visible, but the hunter is then on 
the lookout for pebbles or stones overturned, exposing the earthy side, 
with the weather-beaten side down; or vegetation rubbed ofT the rocks, 
bruised or even bent. There is another form of spoor occurring on hard, 
dry soil, sometimes made by a buck, but usually by a lion, rhino and the 
softer footed animals; that is a slight brushing of the ground with the 
pad, dislodging a little dust and giving the soil a somewhat lighter color 
than that surrounding it. 

Then there is the grassy country. If the grass is short and green, it 
is not difficult to trace the progress of the animal by the lu'uised appear- 
ance of the track. The line of drooping blades shows the direction the 
animal has taken and a little patience will be rewarded by some bare soil 
with a distinct track. Of all varieties of grass country the most trying 
for the trackers is that covered by the huge elephant grass, as it is usually 
trampled in well beaten paths by rhino, buffalo and elephant. As the 
big game has continually to be followed over such ground, the plan of 
the hunter is to follow a well-defined run, and whenever a l)ranch path 
leads away follow it in the hope of discovering some tracks on other 
spoor which will point to the nature of the game and the comparative 
time of Jiis passage. Sometimes by lifting the thick layers of dead grass 
the tender shoots beneath will be found freshly bruised, yielding at least 
a portion of the information sought. 

Returning to the tracks of the big game hunted and killed by Roose- 
velt and his party, it may be stated in general terms that the spoor of the 
lion's forefoot, as of all cat-like animals, is rounded and wider than that 
of the hindfoot. It is larger than that of the leopard, and the track of 
the male is considerably larger than that of the female. Claw marks do 
not show unless the animal is about to spring, and then they cut deeply 
into the ground, tearing up earth and grass. 



38 



ROOSEVELT HUNTING GROUNDS, 



The tracks of the elephant are considerably larger than those of the 
rhino and hippo, and. unlike these, hardly show any toe marks, except 
a faint impress of the two front ones. When stampeding these two toes 
show a deeper impression, especially in the forefeet. \\'ith both ele- 
phant and buck the hind track is smaller and more oblong than the fore. 
The tracks of the rhino and hippo are much the same size, but when 
seen at all clearly may be readily distinguished; as the former has three 
broad toes which usually leave a firm impress, while the hippo has four 




AN OLD ELEPHANT KILLED NEAR MT. ELGON. , 

The length of tusks indicate that he was at least 150 j-ears old. 

pointed toes with nails. The buffalo leaves a track not unlike that of 
cattle, but much larger. It is often confused with that of the eland; that 
is, the track of a full grown bull eland is sometimes hard to distinguish 
from that of a small buffalo. But buffalo leave a cleaner-cut spoor than 
the eland's, walk flatter footed and, moreover, leave another mark of 
their identity which is unmistakable. The droppings of the buffalo not 
only resemble those of cattle on a large scale, but the second day after 
they are deposited the maggot of the Mputsi fly appear in the dung. 



I 



ROOSEVELT HUNTING GROUNDS. 



39 



This fly lays its eggs in no other dung than that of cattle. Another 
habit of the rhino also tells the hunter that he is not following the hippo, 
elephant or other big game. The rhino does not scatter his droppings 
along his route, but after depositing them in one place for a time returns, 
scatters the pile and scratches earth over it. 

Having learned to recognize the tracks of the fore and hind feet of 
the big game, the next thing to be considered is the manner of placing 
them while in motion. In the case of the buck, while walking the hind 
foot is in front of the forefoot; on a jog, on top or slightly behind, and 







Copyright 1909, by 
Underwood & Underwood. 



SKINNING AN ELAND ANTELOPE. 



while on a gallop the hoofs are always spread out. The lengths of strides 
of the different animals at their different paces have also to be learned ; 
and putting various indications together, the hunter will be able to form 
a tolerably correct conclusion as to the distance he will be obliged to 
travel before overtaking his game. 

Sometimes when all signs of tracks and droppings are insufficient, 
the browsings of the big beasts leave their tell-tale. Suppose the hunter 
in a tangled country of elephant grass, such as abounds in the Mount 
Kenia region, should find his path crossed and recrossed with tracks of 



40 ROOSEVELT HUNTING GROUNDS. 

elephants, rhinos, eland and other big game. He is after one kind, not 
all. His surest plan to get on the track of his particular game is to 
closely note the browsing indications. A branch torn from a thorn tree, 
or a bit of chewed thorn dropped on the ground shows that he is in the 
wake of a rhino, while a long strip of bark torn from the top of a tree 
would mean elephant. As he walks along the latter Is in the habit of 
gathering young shoots with his trunk and after eating the leaves, 
throwing little bundles of stalks on either side of the pathway. The 
eland seems careless and destructive, tearing off great branches from 
the trees, stripping off the bark and scattering everything right and left. 
The condition of the browsings left behind also affords the tracker some 
of his surest indications as to the comparative time which has elapsed 
since the game was on the ground. The sap at the break of a limb; the 
bruise on the grass or bush ; the rubbings of the buck's horns against 
the tree; the condition of the droppings — a dozen and one signs will tell 
the hunter whether he is on a comparatively fresh track. Then, with 
an intimate knowledge of the habits of the beast — especially his regular 
times of going to water and his characteristic conduct when he knows 
that he is stalked — and the hunter will eventually run down his game. 
The next desideratum is to keep cool, and patiently wait for an oppor- 
tunity to get in the vital shot. 

THE PROMISING DEATH SHOTS. 

All l)ig game hunters now agree that the brain shot is the proper one 
for the elephant. But it is not often attempted, from the fact that the 
brain is very small in comparison with the bony structure around it. 
When the sportsman accurately knows the position of the brain — that 
it is fairly low and well back — he takes the ear orifice and the eye as 
indexes of the general line of his shot. If he gets a broadside position, 
he aims for a spot about two inches forward of the ear hole in a line 
with the eye. A direct frontal shot is avoided as too uncertain. A 
bullet at the back of the ear, wdien the elephant's head is turned away 
from the hunter is usually deadly. The deadliest shot, however, is con- 
sidered the raking one, by which the bullet is placed at the back of the 
neck. The heart lies on the right side of the body; but neither the heart 
nor the lung shot is to be compared with the brain shot. In fact, unless 
both lungs are pierced the elephant often gets away. 



ROOSEVELT HUNTING GROUNDS. 



41 



The most deadly shot for the rhino is also that in the brain, with a 
bullet placed in the center of the neck as a good second. In following a 
wounded rhino he is always found with head high up, waiting for a 
charge, in which case a raking shot through the shoulder generally 
sounds his death knell. As the hippo is generally found in the water, 
shots at the head must be the rule ; and his most certain death is to be 
encompassed by taking him when his head is turned away and planting 
the bullet on an imaginary line drawn across the base of his cars. In 




Copyright 1909, by 
Underwood & Underwood. 



TROPHIES OF THE HUNT. 



the case of buffalo — one of the hardest to kill in the list and among the 
dangerous when wounded — there is no more vital point to endeavor to 
reach than the point of the shoulder if the beast is broadside ; if facing, 
with head up, the base of the neck ; if quarter facing, the side of the neck, 
so the bullet will rake through the body to the opposite shoulder. The 
dum-dum, expanding bullet is nearly always used for this ferocious brute. 
But, taken all into consideration, the lion is really the most dangerous 
of the big game, as in proportion to the number killed he has caused 



42 ROOSEVELT HUNTING GROUNDS. 

the greatest fatality among hunters. Particular care is therefore exer- 
cised in waiting for the opportunity to drive home the most fatal shot. 
The point of the shoulder and the base of the neck are the localities to 
be aimed for. j\Iost of the fatal accidents have occurred when follow- 
ing a wounded lion into grass. As to buck, the best spot to aim at is 
the shoulder, for if the heart is not struck the lungs may be, or the arteries 
around the heart damaged, or the shoulders so shattered that the animal 
will be unable to run. If facing, the hunter generally tries for the base 
of the neck, so that the bullet will rake the vital organs from front to 
rear. Some of the buck are the most difficult to kill in the whole ani- 
mal kingdom, not only getting away with perforated lungs and shat- 
tered limbs, l)Ut with their very entrails dragging on the ground. The 
first shot is therefore the all-important one — in the case of the bigger 
game because the life of the hunter may depend upon it, and of such as 
the buck, because the game may escape the hunter. 

CHARMS OF THE LION CHASE. 

First, see your lion. The charms of the lion chase consist largely in 
pitting human wit against animal instinct, and getting the beast in such 
a position that he must either stand or run. With all the uncertainties 
of his conduct, the general policy of the lion is to mind his own business 
and especially to avoid trouble with man. Still, he sustains his reputa- 
tion of being the most wise and uncertain of the big carnivora. He will 
even go so far as to retire meekly from a freshly killed buffalo or zebra 
upon the approach of the hunter; but if the sportsman be persistent, and 
the lieast makes a stand, it means a fight to the death. But often a 
hunter may search for days without even getting a sight of His King- 
ship, even though his spoor may be fresh and his killings on all sides. 
One expert states that during his six months in British East Africa he 
spent thirty days looking for lions in a country where they were thick 
about his camp every night, often seeking entry to the tents, and twice 
making kills within a few yards of Vv^here the safari slept. 

It is generally considered that the safest lion shooting is on foot and 
the most favorable ground a naked plain. As was the rule in the Roose- 
velt hunts, a pony man runs the lion to bay and the chief approaches 
afoot from another direction. Under such circumstances the lion inva- 
riably charges at the pony man — first, because he likes horseflesh and, 



ROOSEVELT HUNTING GROUNDS. 42A 

secondly, (perhaps) because he holds the latter responsible for being 
brought to bay. And when once shot, if the wound is not through heart 
or brain, the beast advances, increasing its pace with the reception of 
each additional bullet. The last thirty or forty yards is covered like a 
whirlwind — the swiftest thing on earth — and the momentum sometimes 
carries the great brute right to the feet of the hunter with a bullet 
through the heart. 

BLIND CHARGE OF THE BLACK RHINOCEROS. 

On at least two different occasions Mr. Roosevelt dropped his lion 
as the beast was making one of its whirlwind charges, and upon one 
occasion saved the life of his pony man. He also experienced the almost 
equally terrific charge of the black rhinoceros — about as resistless, but 
shorn of some of its dangers from the fact that the rhino's sight is so 
bad; his charge is therefore literally blind. He gets the "tainted air" of 
some human "vermin" and forthwith lowers his ugly head and horns 
and charges in the direction of the obnoxious thing, whether it be a hun- 
ter's safari, a body of Masai warriors or a company of the King's African 
Rifles. Everything and everybody scatters before the awful brute, who 
blunders through the wreck, right on, seldom returning to the same 
attack. The rhinoceros loves to lurk in dark jungles, or forests, and no 
other of the big beasts is so given to charging with less provocation 
than he; among them all he seems the most "possessed of the devil." 
The white rhinoceros is a most rare animal, as compared with his black 
brother of East Africa, and few^ of this species have been shot within 
recent years. One of the lucky hunters to bring a white rhino to his 
game bag was Captain Richard Dawson, of the British Coldstream 
Guards, who made the shooting in July, 1909, in the Sotik district, north- 
west of Kijabe, where the Roosevelt party was operating at the same 
time, hoping especially for similar good fortune. 

TERRIFIC ONSLAUGHT OF THE BUFFALO. 

As the rhino's sense of smell is remarkably acute, so is the buffalo's 
sense of hearing, as well as his eyesight. He selects more awful places 
in which to hide and quietly listen than does the rhino to dilate his nos- 
trils for "tainted air." He hides in great papyrus swamps, jungles of 
elephant grass or dense forests. The lone bull buffalo is a terrible ani- 
mal and often charges without provocation, and will often hunt the 



42B ROOSEVELT HUNTING GROUNDS. 

hunter, coming upon him unawares and tossing him into eternity. A 
wounded buffalo has a nasty trick of appearing to run away as if panic- 
stricken ; then, after dashing away for a mile or so, well out of sight, 
circling round and returning to the trail. Then hiding in the high grass 
or forest, he patiently awaits the coming of the hunter in the hope of 
charging him unawares. As his vitality equals his cunning, and both 
are backed by an awful strength, the buffalo is considered, next to the 
lion, the most dangerous of the l^ig beasts. 

SABLE ANTELOPE. 

The sable anlelope is mentioned here because, albeit not of large size 
among his kind, he is one of the most dangerous. He has long spear- 
like horns and is usually hunted with a pack of dogs. A herd of sable 
antelope when finally brought to bay is certainly a noble sight, and after 
the first encounter their pursuers are careful indeed of the distance they 
keep between their bodies and those death-dealing horns. In spite of 
their nimbleness more than one good dog is usually impaled in a hunt, 
and the sportsman himself has even met death 1)y coming in too close. 
The sable antelope is smaller than the roan and his coloring is different, 
though the shape of the body is quite similar in the two species. 

HARTBEESTS AND GNUS (WTLDBEESTS). 

Perhaps of all the soft-skinned beasts of big caliber in Africa the hart- 
beests and gnus are the hardest to kill. The wildbeests are not so dif- 
ficult to stalk, but their vitality and staying qualities are something 
phenomenal. AVhen sound they will invariably outrun a horse, and even 
when shot through the lungs they have been known to gallop out of 
si gilt. 

The hartbeests are a species of antelope named "hard beasts" by the 
Dutch, who had the first long experience with them in South Africa. 
The British often varied their christening by calling them "nasty beasts"; 
and all because the creatures posted their sentries in such a wonderful 
manner that it was almost impossible to get within fair shooting dis- 
tance of a herd. The three varieties common to British East Africa are 
Jackson's, Coke's and Neumann's. They are all of a rich fawn color of 
varied shades and also vary somewhat in the shape and size of the horns, 
Jackson's hartbeest carrying the heaviest and longest. 



\ 




NEW AFRICA. 



IN BLACK AND WHITE. 

Having left the Roosevelt expedition in the Ininteis' piiraclise of British 
East Africa, it seems a htting opportunity to hriefly retrace the route taken 
ijy the Uganda railroad, which is virtually fixing New Africa on the map of 
the world, and first describe the country through which it passes in "black." 
Idle tribes of colored men seem now reconciled to the new order of things 
an<l are no longer to be considered as dense savages, but as considerably more 
than semi-civilized. 

THE WANYIKA. 



A few miles out from Mombasa commence the little \'illages of the Wan- 

yika^sometimes not more than a small collection of huts, surrounded by a 

high fence of trees, vines or thorny shrubbery. Such defenses are partly a 

remnant of the days when they were subject to the attacks of the fierce Masai 

warriors or the equally merciless slave hunters ; but they are still necessary as 

protections against lions and other flesh eaters. They raise vegetables and 

fruits on small tracts of land, or occasionally act as cattle herders, and are 

scattered wdth camps of railroad employes or squads of irregular infantry 

nearly to the Athi plains. Their appearance bespeaks considerable Arabian 

blood. 

43 



44 NEW AFRICA. 

MURDER OF THOMAS LONDON. 

Although generally peaceable, the Wanyika sometimes allow their avarice 
to overcome their scruples and caution ; and perhaps this should not be charged 
up to them as a conclusive evidence of their savagery. Perhaps their latest 
crime against the human life of a white was the murder of Thomas London, 
a British hunter in the region not far from the coast. Being hungry and 
thirsty, he approached a village and paid a native boy a silver dollar for a 
cocoanut. Such a large sum for so small a favor aroused the cupidity of an 
old chief, Makelinga, and when Mr. London had laid aside his gun and was ^ 
bending over to wash his hands, the native leader, with three confederates, 
sprung upon him and stabbed him to death. Only five dollars were found 
upcMi the dead ; but the murderers were tried and convicted at Mombasa and 
hung on the scene of their crime, August 28, 1908. 

THE WAKAMBA. OF THE ATHI BASIN. 

The Wakaniba have the distinction of being not only the largest tribe of 
East Africa, but the only one which has never acknowledged permanent defeat 
at the hands of the Masai. They are both farmers and herdsmen. Like most 
African tribes they are very superstitious, having their hoodoos against witch- 
ery and their official witch doctors, who are sometimes more powerful than 
the chiefs. After harvest the doctor always makes his rounds of the villages, 
receives gifts and endeavors to "smell out" the witch in each community who 
has been responsible for the sudden deaths and other misfortunes of the year. 
When she (for it is generally a woman) has been located the villagers gradu- 
ally desert her, leaving behind only one grim warrior, who, at the first favor- 
able opportunity, pins her to the ground with his spear and leaves her to a 
death of keen agony or slow torture. In case her death struggles are too 
prolonged, the villagers return and stone her to death. A village near Mach- 
akos station seems to have been a favorite location for enforcing "Kinyolla," 
as this hideous custom is known, some forty women having met their fate 
there within a year. 

THE MASAI, WITH CLAWS CUT. 

The once warlike Masai, not unlike the Sioux of the United States in their 
heyday, are now virtually pacified and kept within the bounds of their reserva- 
tion on the Laikipia plateau, northwest of Mount Kenia and northeast of 



NEW AFRICA. 



45 



Nakuru. Once as much hunters of men as of Hons and other wild beasts, they 
were for years the terror of all the native tribes of northeast Africa between 
Lake Victoria Nyanza and the Red Sea, excepting perhaps the powerful 
Wakamba already mentioned. They were loosely confined within these west- 
ern and eastern bounds by the Uganda confederation of tribes and by the 
Somali warriors. Years ago they were almost a nomadic race, like the Sioux 
of North America or the Huns of the old world, sweeping the country with 
their wild forays of rapine and destruction. They took their cattle with them, 




Copyright 1909, by Underwood & Underwood. 

MASAI WIVES BUILDING A NEW VILLAGE. 



and it was the wholesale destruction of their herds by plague which caused 
many of them to establish villages and form a distinct division of the tribe. 
Then until they abandoned the warpath w'ithin recent years, at the "sugges- 
tion" of the British authorities, the Masai were generally divided into war- 
riors— spleudid specimens of chocolate colored young manhood, never less 
than six feet in height — and those who had served their time at feats of arms 
and had settled down to married and domestic life. The warriors, or free- 



46 



NEW AFRICA. 




Copyright 1909, by t inlcrwiinil & Underwood. 

GOING FOR HIS BRIDE. RIDING THK COW THAT IS TO PAY FOR HER- 

men, lived in eamps, while the more staid populace dwelt in the villages, 
herded the cattle and raised gram and vegetables. At the age of puberty the 
youth of proper physique was set apart as a warrior by the rite of circum- 
cision and not only thoroughly drilled by veterans in the use of the long- 



NEW AFRICA. 47 

bladed assagai, the short sword and club and the oval shield of buffalo hide, 
but was placed on a strict diet, alternating between meat and milk. The 
young men were attended by unmarried girls and women, who did the cook- 
ing and performed all necessary domestic offices. 



READY FOR THE WAR PATH. 

When the young man, or "elmoran," was ready for the war path he was 
certainly a sight calculated to inspire fear. Gorged with blood and meat, to 
raise his animal passions to the utmost, his oblique eyes blazed from his choco- 
late colored face, encircled by ostrich feathers, which were carried above his 
frizzy hair in the form of an oval headdress, so increasing his natural height 
as to make him appear gigantic in stature. His shoulder cape was of vulture 
feathers, and his belt and anklets were made from the fur of the Colobus mon- 
key. When, therefore, he leaped along the war path, with his long lance tipped 
with thirty inches of keen steel, his feathers ruffing around him like an enraged 
bird of prey, it is not singular that he struck such terror into the heart of a 
savage foe as to half win the battle before it was even begun. In the days 
when the Masai were in their prime as warriors, no young man dare return 
to his camp without human blood on his spear, or booty to appeal to the 
admiration and affection of his sweetheart. . Once married, he settled down 
in one of the villages and was allowed to vary his diet with vegetables. 

As the cow is the main food supply of the Masai, it is necessary that the 
young warrior who is about to turn Benedict should present his prospective 
father-in-law with a first-class animal; both as an earnest of his honorable 
intentions and as actual pay for his bride. His journev to the home of his 
fair cfne is usually made on the back of his sleek gift, the young suitor being 
accompanied by a body-guard of friends. 



THE MASAI OF TODAY. 

The young Masai, though he may no more go forth to slay his brother, 
is in demand by the white hunter as a helper or guide, and he also maintains 
his old-time reputation as one of the bravest sportsmen in the world who has 
ever faced the lion. When he now returns single handed, with his spear 
dipped in the life-blood of the king of beasts, the whole village turns out to 
give him a deserved ovation. 



48 



NEW AFRICA. 



The Masai villages are still built in the form of a circle, surrounded by a 
strono- thorn fence, and the cattle are carefully herded within. The huts are 



made of bent boughs and the roofs plastered with cow dung. 



Although the 




Copyright 1909, by Underwood & Underwood. 

YOUNG MAN HONORED FOR KILLING A LION. 



dresses of the men and women are in the transformatory period, they generally 
retain their old-time characteristics. The women wear a profusion of string 
beads and anklets of iron and brass, with a small apronlike garment in front 



NEJV AFRICA. 



49 



of the body and a longer garment behind. The men, not in military costume 
wear an upper garment of tanned skin, and a length of cloth fastened at the 
neck and hanging down behind. Their armlets are of ivory and horn- they 
wear ornaments of slender iron chain, showing good workmanship, and their 



■•<*'\ s 












, f'^ 




Copyright 1909 by 
Dnderwood & Underwood. 



PLAYING EAO. 



Inir is usually gatliered in a chignon which hangs between the shoulders. 
Then- ear-lobes are distended with ornaments, for, like other semi-civilized 
tribes, they are loaded with the bulk of attractive things for the edification of 
the opposite sex. In that particular they follow the usual order of birds and 
animals, among which it is the male who is aflame with color and is loaded 



50. NEIV AFRICA. . 

with the noticeable adornments. They seem to have few amusements, but, 
hke many otiier African tribes, are partial to games of chance, or gambling. 
Bao, as the'r most popular gambling game is called, is represented in full 
swing in the accompanying illustration. 

Generally speaking the Masai of today are dignified and self-contained, 
capable agriculturists and herdsmen, quick witted and possessed of considerable 
oratorical ability. Tl;ey are a mixed Ethiopian ^nd negro race, those in whom 
the former blood predominates having good features — so good, in fact, that, 
barring their chocolate color, they would pass for Europeans. Their 
general appearance, bravery and adaptability to military discipline are 
so much in their favor that many of them have been incorporated into the 
King's African Rifles and are employed w^ith good effect in the British 
work of "pacification." A\'ith the Swahili, the Alasai have given names 
to the animals of British East Africa. 

THE SWAHILI AND KIKUKU. 

The Swahili are perhaps the most polished and sedate of any of the 
native tribes of Central and East Africa. They are noted traders, are 
Mohammedans and, in their flowing white garments, much resemble the 
Arabs. They number fully a million souls and have their pretty villages 
and bazaars as far east as ]\Iount Kenia. 

It is said that the Kikuyu, between Nairobi and Mount Kenia, num- 
ber some 300,000 souls, and, although they have made as much progress 
a,s any native tribe in agriculture, they are considered unreliable as citi- 
zens and the protectorate police are obliged to keep a keen eye out for 
them. Further to the west and north, from the Mau escarpment to the 
Laikipia Plains and beyond are the villages and huts of the Wandorrobo, 
scattered along the Tana and its tributaries and hidden in the depths of • 
the forests. They are among the oldest professional black hunters in . 
Africa and will be exterminated before they become farmers. They are , 
exceedingly primitive and live mostly on game and honey. 

NAKED TRIBES NEAR VICTORIA NYANZA. 

The country from Kibigori station to Kavirondo Gulf (the eastern 
arm of Lake Victoria Nyanza) was inhabited by tribes wdio, notwith- 
standing the present-day influences of several years, might still have 
just emerged from the Garden of Eden — many even minus the prover- 
bial fig-leaf. The females load themselves with bead necklaces and other 



NEIV AFRICA. 51 

ornaments, and the men delight in elaborate head-dresses, made of 
feathers and banded with ivory. They are laughing, merry people, live 
in villages surrounded with aloe hedges, and usually surround the trav- 
eler with curious looks and gestures, quite unconscious of their condi- 
tion. Physically, they are bronze models for the artist and sculptor- 
tall, symmetrically developed, gentle-mannered, peaceable, and, fro;n 
the most reliable accounts of European travelers, are chaste and moral. 
Of course, the efforts of the new civilization has resulted in some cloth- 
ing of the naked, albeit the majority still cling closely to the instinct of 
their forefathers in the matter of dress, or no-dress. Apropos of dress 
reform among the Kavirondo — the story is told on a good English lady 
who, having been shocked at the sights she saw, stopped at Port Flor- 
ence, the terminus of the railroad, long enough to purchase a huge 
bundle of cloth of home manufacture. This she sent down to Kibigori 
for the purpose of being distributed among- her dusky sisters; but what 
was her disgust, on her return from a short stay at Entebbe, to find 
that the aforesaid sisters had passed all the goods over to their husbands 
and lovers, who were all adorned with beautiful fresh turbans. 

THE NAXDI TRIBE. 

North of the Kavirondo was the Xandi tribe. It is an ofTshoot of the 
Masai and, like the parent stock, its members are cattle fanciers and 
warriors. On scenting danger from hostile tribes, or British soldiers, 
it was their custom to make off into the forests and rocky goro-es 
marked by the Nandi escarpment, and securely hide their flocks and 
herds before venturing forth themselves. Even then they did not come 
i»to the open, but after they had posted their sentries on every com- 
manding hilltop in the country, and learned from the answering shouts 
the position and strength of the enemy, they were ready to commence 
their ambushed warfare with poisoned arrows. They gave the builders 
of the Ug'anda road some trouble ; but more as thieves than as warriors. 
When they first set eyes on the fine metal used in the tracks and tele- 
graph, the savage love for ornamentation overcame all other desires — 
even the desire to avenge the coming of the white man. For months 
the progress and operation of the line toward the lake were seriously 
impeded by their thefts of telegraph wire for bracelets and earrings and 
railroad bolts for fancy spear heads. 



52 ^ElV AFRICA. 

. Much of the history of the Nandi and Kavirondo tribes is written 
in the past tense, as they are among the unfortunate people who are 
victims of the Sleeping Sickness, which has killed two hundred thousand 
people in the regions tributary to Lake Victoria Nyanza ; and as no cure 
has yet been found for the terrible plague the order has gone forth that 
all tribes inhabiting the infested area shall be removed back into a safe 
country. The Sleeping Sickness had been especially destructive to the 
Kavirondo. as the tsetse fly. which produced it, had free access to their 
naked bodies. 

NATIVE KINGDOM! OF UGANDA. 

One of the chief objects in building the Uganda Railroad was to 
tap the rich native kingdom of Uganda west of Lake Victoria Nyanza. 
It is a well organized state, composed of a union of the most intelligent 
and progressive of the Baganda tribes. They have well been termed 
the Japanese of Africa, as they possess a wonderful power of absorbing 
and practically applying the knowledge derived from European contact. 
Even before Cameron and Stanley came among them, rumors had 
reached the outside world of a far-advanced native confederation hold- 
ing the country between lakes Victoria and Albert Nyanza. But it was 
not until its last autocratic King v\-as banished by the British and a 
protectorate assumed that the state was organized along modern lines, 
although the Catholic and Episcopal missionaries had planted many seeds 
which had borne good fruit. The territory is now divided into twenty 
counties, each county ruled by a chief, and the entire state is governed 
by King Daudi Chwa, who, as he is only about thirteen years of age, 
is under the guardianship of three regents. The native parliament con- 
sists of the regents and county chiefs named, sixty Notables (three from 
each countv) and six Persons of Importance, all appointed by the King 
and subject to the veto of the British government. Besides the estab- 
lishment of a virtually modern monarchy. Uganda has also made a great 
advance toward modern standards in the abolishment of the most ob- 
jectionable features of polygamy — such as the selling of women for 
wives. 

Physicallv, L^ganda is a land of beauties — gorgeous landscape effects, 
highly colored l)irds. enormous moths and butterflies and tropical lux- 
uriance of vegetation. The soil is wonderfully rich. The country is 
simply unctuous with bananas. Cotton grows everywhere, -and other 



NEIV AFRICA. 53 

products, either native or introduced, are cocoa, coffee, tea, oranges, 
pineapples, lemons, rubber, hemp, vanilla and cinnamon. More wonder- 
ful still, most of the fruits and vegetables of the temperate zone thrive 
well. Is it wonderful that the British wanted to get into railroad con- 
nection with such a country ? 

It is one of the sad and most dramatic features of modern history 
that this wonderful country — this intelligent people, so eager for knowl- 
edge and so capable of absorbing and profiting by it — should be devas- 
tated by the mysterious plague of the Sleeping Sickness. The efforts of 
modern scientists and philanthropists to discover its causes, eradicate it 
and save Uganda itself from extermination are noted at the last of this 
chapter. 

WHITE BELT. 

The White Belt of British East Africa comprises the country north 
of the Uganda Railroad from Kapiti Plains (or perhaps Nairobi) to 
Port Florence, for an average of forty miles inland, wherein is studded 
most of the plantations, stock farms and private hunting grounds of 
British, German, Boer and American proprietors — many of them set- 
tlers. There are those who assert that, on account of the remoteness 
of the producing territory and South American competition, coffee will 
never be a profitable crop, although so readily raised from the soil — 
the same objections applying to fruits and vegetables, especially potatoes. 
It is naturally a fine live-stock country; but the fever tick has been im- 
ported from German East Africa and has made such inroads among the 
cattle as to discourage many live-stock raisers. The native cattle are 
usually black and white, and small compared with the English species. 
If left to themselves and the devices of the native African they would 
undoubtedly perish under the attacks of the fever-spreading tick ; but 
new and vigorous blood is being introduced into the native herds from 
European sources, and the wdiite scientist has discovered that by wiring 
a herd of sheep in a tick-infested area the insects are soon exterminated. 
Their bites are harmless to sheep, which also eat the insects without loss 
of appetite or health. So that the live-stock industries of British East 
Africa may eventually flourish exceedingly; but a majority of the 
prophets seem to vote in favor of King Cotton as the coming monarch 
of the soil, pointing to the fact that both in the lowlands and uplands 
it has been grown with success. 



54 NEJV AFRICA. 

Within the White Belt of British East Africa no class of actual set- 
tlers are showing more adaptability and rugged determination to wring 
substantial results from the old, dormant country than the Boers, many 
of whom had planted themselves in the soil before the British protec- 
torate was even dreamed of. Some of the richest lands along the rail- 
road lie around beautfful Lake Nakuru, where the line makes its first 
decided turn to the westward on its way to Lake Victoria Nyanza. At 
this locality is one of the largest and most prosperous Boer colonies in 
East Africa, most of the settlers being housed in the typical corrugated 
iron buildings, which are not pretty to look at, but are both light, strong, 
cool and weather-proof. As the altitude here is more than seven thou- 
sand feet above sea level, it is not always heat alone against which the 
householders need protection. 

GREAT SCENIC SECTION OF RAILW^AY. 

The great scenic section of the L^ganda Railroad is from Nairobi to 
Nakuru, during which the country rapidly rises through a series of alter- 
nating escarpments and valleys to an altitude of nearly eight thousand 
feet at the Mau Escarpment beyond the latter station. During the first 
twenty-four miles out of Nairobi the rise is some two thousand feet. 
To the west of Nairobi, at the foot of the Kikuyu hills, the plain country 
abruptly ends. As far as the eye can see extends a frowning wall of 
forest-clad rocks, and when the train has struggled to high ground, now 
six thousand feet above the sea. it shows the tourist one of the most 
impressive sights in East Africa. 

ESCARPMENT STATION AND RIFT VALLEY. 

From Escarpment Station the railroad pitches and zigzags its way 
into Rift Valley, fifteen hundred feet below, its broad expanses being 
broken by strange volcanic formations. Some of the shattered craters 
in the valley are not inactive, and one slumbering volcano is planted in ■ 
the middle of Lake Naivasha. To the west the valley is barricaded by 
the lofty Mau hills and cliffs, which collectively form the escarpment 
which bends toward the northwest and crosses the railroad beyond 
Nakuru. Before the days of the railroad the traveler was lowered over 
the escarpment into the valley below, or elevated from the valley to the 
heights — as the case might be — by an old rope lift. 



NEW AFRICA. 



55 



ON TO KIT A BE STATION. 



Kijabe, which is the next station Ijeyond Escarpment, is well named 
"The Wind," as it is one of the bleakest places along the road. One of 
the most interesting expeditions from Nairol)i was that made by the 
ex-President and his party to Kijabe, a station on the railroad forty- 




rooseve:.,t, major mkarns and the traffic manager viewing the country along 

the uganda railway. 



56 NEW AFRICA. 

four miles northwest of the city, which is the headquarters of the 
African Inland Mission. It is an independent American organization, 
with home councils in Philadelphia and London, and several schools are 
conducted at Kijabe for the education of missionaries' children and the 
industrial training of the natives. 

The party, which consisted of Mr. Roosevelt, Edmund Heller, Major 
-Mearns and Kermit Roosevelt, arrived at their destination on the after- 
noon of June 3rd, the Colonel, the IMajor and the traf^c manager riding 
about half the way on the cow-catcher so as to obtain the full benefit 
of the glorious scenery in the Rift Valley. They were met at the station 
by the porters and the American missionaries, and passed the night in 
tents near the railroad. The next morning the party spent some time 
shooting Colobus and green-faced monkeys, as well as rare birds. In 
the forenoon Mr. Roosevelt made a thorough inspection of the mission, 
and afterward had luncheon with forty of the missionaries and their 
wives and settlers in the country. 

LOVELY AND MYSTERIOUS LAKE NAIVASHA. 

One of the greatest wonders and beauties of the Rift Valley is Lake 
Naivasha, about an hour's ride from the Escarpment Station. This 
sheet of water is about ten miles square, and the rim of a submerged 
crater makes a crescent-shaped island in its midst. Although its waters 
are rather brackish they are always sunny and glisten like a "Tear" in 
the rather somber landscape; and it should be added that "Naivasha" 
translated into English is a "Tear." "Almost always," says one who 
looked upon the scene with a bright eye, "there is a smile of sunshine 
on her waters, while on the other hand there is as often a black frown of 
thunder clouds rolling over the Mau and a white cap of rain on the peak 
of Longonot" — the latter being a rather portentous looking volcano 
which almost closes the further end of the Rift Valley. But though the 
water of Lake Naivasha is by no means sweet, its bosom is covered with 
pink, white and blue lilies, and is fringed with sedges, seeds and papyrus. 
It is also the home of myriads of Egyptian geese, cranes, herons, 
ducks and snipe. The borders of the lake and the islands scattered over 
it are especially favored breeding grounds for herons, who love to feed 
among the herds of native cattle pasturing on the grassy slopes which 
roll away from Naivasha toward Nakuru. Hippos abound in the lake, 
but there are no crocodiles; and toward the northwest is big game of 



NEW AFRICA. 57 

all kinds, as well as a fine region for bush buck, while on the wide grassy- 
flats and the lower slopes of the hills are great flocks of sheep and 
goats, herded by the natives. 

GOVERNMENT BREEDING FARM NEAR NAIVASHA. 

At the government breeding farm, a few miles from Lake Naivasha, 
efforts are being made to cross the zebra with the horse or mule, in 
order to produce a hybrid which may both resist the diseases of the 
country and at the same time be easily tamed and be valuable as a beast 
of burden. This attempt to solve the horse problem in British East 
Africa has not met with as much success as the government's efforts to 
improve the native hairy sheep and the humped African ox. The former 
has been so crossed with Sussex and Australian blood as to be trans- 
formed into a very respectable wool-bearing animal, while the native 
hump is disappearing, and the mixed ox is coming on the scene as a 
fair Shorthorn. 

NAKURU AND ITS CHARMING LAKE. 

Salty though it is to the taste, as are most of the bodies of water in 
this region, Lake Nakuru is charming both in the vegetable and animal 
life which it supports. A rich grass country surrounds it, which, as 
stated, is thickly settled by Boer farmers. Beyond, along the Mau Es- 
carpment, is one of the finest pieces of railroad engineering in East 
Africa, consisting of nearly three miles of viaducts, or twenty-seven 
separate iron bridges spanning beautiful valleys and foaming torrents. 
TheVeally interesting part of the great engineering feat lies in the fact 
that it is really an American achievement — a demonstration of Amer- 
ican ingenuity, pluck and technical skill. 

FROM FORT TERNAN TO PORT FLORENCE. 

At the station called Fort Ternan the railroad has fairly cut through 
the Mau Escarpment, and thence to Port Florence, or Kisumu (the 
native village), carries one through a swampy but fertile country — the 
approach to Lake Victoria Nyanza and the region infested by the tsetse 
fly and devastated by the Sleeping Sickness ; the country of the Nandi 
and the Kavirondo. Fort Ternan, wdiich has been dubbed a "placeless 



58 



NEIV AFRICA. 



name," is about forty miles from the terminus of the road and some 
thousand feet above it. This section of the Hne taps a level country of 
brilliant green dotted with small parks of flourishing trees. 

APPROACH TO LAKE— PORT FLORENCE. 

Realizing that Lake Victoria Nyanza is the greatest of the African 
lakes and, next to Lake Superior, in the United States, the largest body 
of fresh water in the world, Mr. Roosevelt shared the common dis- 
appointment of all travelers who approach it from the east for the first 




time. The country is so flat around Gulf Kavirondo that all that can 
be seen is an unimpressive arm of dirty brown water thrust out into the 
landscape — no vast expanse of blue waters stretching to the horizon, 
with appropriate settings of rocky cliffs or smiling shores. But the train 
soon runs onto the pier at Port Florence, which is little more than a 
transfer station from the railroad to the steamers which ply across the 



NEW AFRICA. 59 

lake to Entebbe, the capital of the Uganda protectorate, and to other 
interesting points in the native kingdom. It has also a large dockyard, 
at which all the lake steamers are built and repaired, and the resident 
part of the modern town contains trim houses, well shaded and backed 
up against the hills which overlook the gulf at this point. 

BIG HUNTING GROUNDS TO THE NORTH. 

Before crossing the .lake to Entebbe, the sportsman always samples 
the noted grounds for big game, lying between the Nandi escarpment 
and Mount Elgon, especially along the Nzoia River and along the south- 
ern slopes of the mountain mentioned. It is an especially fine lion 
country. All through the lower Nzoia country, in the comparatively 
level stretches of sward, are great ant-hills interspersed with clumps of 
thorn bushes. The ant-hills form good points of observation for the 
hunter and the thorn bushes fine screens. The lions also like to mount 
these towers and survey the country for game, or, if they are tracked, 
to discover the progress and position of their pursuers. This ant-hill 
country is favorable, it seems, both for lion and liOn hunter, when the 
sportsman is afoot ; but it is obviously no place for horsemen. When 
following the animal into cover, the hunter should, if possible, deter- 
mine whether he is after a lion, or lioness with cubs. During May, 
June and July they run together in mixed bands, which is a favorable 
season for hunting them ; during the other months the females withdraw 
from the males and bear their litters. The months between July and 
May may therefore be called the dangerous months for the sportsmen. 
Besides the lion, the whole country from the Nandi hills to and along 
the Nzoia River abounds in bufTalo, eland, roan antelopes, giraffes, Jack- 
son's hartbeests and water and reed buck. Better still, from the railroad 
to the Yala River may generally be found several herds of elephants, one 
seeming especially to haunt the locality near Kibigori station ; but the 
great grounds of the monster game are east and southeast of Mount 
Elgon. 

ACROSS THE LAKE TO ENTEBBE. 

« Entebbe, across the lake from Port Florence, is the administrative 
capital of the Uganda protectorate and is connected with Kampala, the 
native capital, by a well constructed twenty-five-mile road (not rail- 



60 ^'E^y AFRICA. 

road). There is another fine pike from Kampala to Lake Albert 
Nyanza ; and the entire distance of two hundred miles may be com- 
fortably covered in an automobile. Entelibe itself was carefully planned 
and built. It has such a charming location, surroundings and accommo- 
dations for the visitor that many are suggesting that the literal trans- 
lation, "The Chair," should be rendered more freely "The Easy Chair." 
The houses are mostly brick, with corrugated iron roofs of red, and the 
official residences are surrounded by large gardens, connected by broad 
avenues. Flowering trees are planted along the streets, and many of 
the gigantic forest trees have been left where they originally stood. 
As to club and social life it is a repetition of Nairobi, plus a beautiful 
site. The shores of the lake, and the islands with which it is studded, 
are ablaze with the brilliant colors of plant and bird, and the air laden 
with tropical perfumes and the myriad noises of insect, monkey and the 
feathered tribe. The slopes between the town and the lake have been 
converted into a tine l)otanic garden, which is a condensed exhibition of 
the plant and animal life around. 

THE SLEEPING SICKNESS. 

Eight years ago this beautiful region of islands and tropical forests, 
of fertile land and teeming vegetation, was densely populated by in- 
dustrious and progressive natives — tilling the soil, herding cattle and 
learning to be good citizens, according to their lights. Since they have 
been swept away in great waves of death by the Sleeping Sickness, and 
one of the most interesting institutions of Entebbe is the laboratory of 
the Royal Commission on Sleeping Sickness, where experiments are 
conducted in the hope of getting at the cause and remedies of the ter- 
rible disease. At one time four thousand incurables were slowly dying 
in Uganda hospitals, and thousands more expecting to take their places. 
Up to the present time, however, only a few Europeans have died of the 
malady, one of the unfortunates being Lieutenant Tulloch, who con- 
tracted the disease while making the initial experiments at the labora- 
tory and died shortly after his return to England in the summer of 1906. 
The only deaths in the railroad districts east of the ]\Iau ranges have 
been of Uganda natives who have contracted the disease at home, and 
it has never advanced beyond Mount Kenia to the east or Mount Kili- 
manjaro to the south. 



NEW AFRICA. 



61 



Sleeping Sickness has been known in Africa for more than a cen- 
tury, but its connection with the tsetse fly w^as not recognized until 1902. 
The infection, or organisms known as trypanosomes, is conveyed by 
this insect in some manner not yet clearly ascertained. The incubation 
period is about three weeks. Then comes an irregular fever, rangino- 




Copyright 190<J by Uiidci .i >.i- i :. L ;j.;^. ,. .....; 

CROCODILE CAUGHT ON THE SHORE OF LAKE VICTORIA NYANZA 

Natives live in terror of Crocodiles and kill them whenever they can. In some tribes no 

young man is considered a real warrior until he has speared a Crocodile. 

Then all the belles of the tribe worship him. 



62 NEIV AFRICA. 

from a few days to weeks, with progressive weakness, swelling- of the 
glands, affections of the skin, and final paralysis of the entire nervous 
system. There may be an interval of years — as many as seven — before 
the profound lassitude, the real onset of the Sleeping Sickness, ap- 
proaches. The patient then becomes a-n automaton, even forgetting to 
chew the food which is placed in his mouth, finally dying of starvation, 
convulsions or local paralysis. The mortality of the disease, when once 
implanted, must be given as 100 per cent ; there is no hope, except in 
prevention. 

Professor Koch, the great German scientist, who has made so thor- 
ough an investigation of the matter, has added to the difficulties of the 
case by offering proofs that the disease may be transmitted in other ways 
than by the tsetse fly. He also claims to have discovered a connection 
between the disease and crocodiles, as in the neighborhood of Lake 
Victoria Nyanza the tsetse fly subsists almost entirely on the blood of 
these reptiles. Tsetse flies, both males and females, are blood-suckers 
and feed during the day. As they fly so swiftly and alight so softly, it 
is very difficult to detect them until after the mischief has been done. 

ROOSEVELT'S ENTERTAINERS AT ENTEBBE. 

Mr. Roosevelt was deeply interested in this status of the great fight 
between science and the Sleeping Sickness of East Africa, and his host 
and hostess at Entebbe gave him every facility to investigate the efforts 
being made to stamp out the plague. Mrs. George Francis McDaniel 
Ennis, his special hostess, is the only American resident of Entebbe, 
and a charming author, woman and entertainer. She was formerly j\Iiss 
Ethel Kirkland, of Chicago, daughter of Major Joseph Kirkland, a brave 
soldier and an able writer — for some years literary editor of the "Chicago 
Tribune." Mrs. Ennis met her husband while traveling, the latter being 
en route to assume the judgeship of the L^ganda protectorate. They 
have a son, and a beautiful, completely appointed home; no one of note, 
in fact, since they became residents of Entebbe has left the place without 
enjoying their hospitality. Of course, the formal reception of Colonel 
and ex-President Roosevelt, with his party, was at the hands of Sir 
Hesketh Bell, the governor; but the real home entertaining — the atten- 
tions which went to the great American's heart — were from ]\Irs. Ennis, 
his countrywoman ; and no better God-speed toward the Nile and civil- 
ization could have been devised. 




THE STORY OF THE LION 



"As bold as a lion" is the phrase most commonly used to express the 
highest order of courage, for by general consent the people of all countries 
have bestowed upon the lion the title of "King of Beasts." Certainly no 
other animal is so noble and majestic in appearance. Its massive head, upon 
which, in the case of the male animal, there is usually a long, thick mane, the 
King's Crown, as it were, its stout, thick legs and huge paws, together with the 
graceful formation of its body and sweeping tail, make it the most imposing- 
and splendid looking animal known to natural history. 

Of late years one authority has disputed the lion's title of "King of 
Beasts." Mr. F. C. Selous, the famous hunter, says that the lion does not 
carry its head as high as it should, and that it is lacking in many traits that 
we usually ascribe to a noble animal. Livingstone, the great explorer, declares 
that the lion is more correctly described as cowardly and mean than brave 
and noble, yet I know many instances where the lion has shown itself to be 
tlie most courageous of animals. 

In common with the other large cats of the Old World, the lion has the 
pupil of the eye circular; but it is at once distinguished from all the other 

63 



64 ' THE STORY OF THE LION. 

members of the family by the long hair growing on the head, neck, and 
shoulders of the males to form the flowing mane. This mane varies in size 
and color in different individuals, but, contrary to- what has often been stated, 
is seen on Indian as well as on African lions. Frequently the long hair of 
the mane is continued as a fringe down the middle line of the belly. Another 
distinctive characteristic of the male lion is the brush of long hair at the tip 
of the tail. In the middle of this brush of hair, at the very extremity of 
the tail, is a small horny appendage surrounded by a tuft. Much speculation 
has been indulged in as tO' the use of this so-called "thorn" in the lion's tail. 
One old story says that it is employed to rouse the animal to fury when the tail 
is lashed against the flanks. 

The hair on the remainder of the body of the male lion, and on both 
the head and body in the female, is short and close. In the adults of both 
sexes the color of the body-hair is the well-known yellowish-brown, or tawny, 
but the tint varies in different individuals. The long hair of the male's mane 
may vary from tawny to a blackish-brown. Young lion-cubs are marked with 
transverse dark stripes running down the sides of the body, and likewise by 
a single stripe of similar tint along the middle of the back. The mane of 
the male does not make its appearance till the animal is about three years 
of age, and continues to grow until the age of about six years. The full 
length of a lion's life does not appear known, but it has been ascertained 
that they will live to thirty, and it is said even till forty years. 

For a long period it was considered that the Indian lion differed from its 
African relative by the total absence of the mane in the male, which was 
regarded as indicating a distinct species. Owing to the differences in the 
length and color of the manes of African lioiis from different districts, it was 
likewise held that there were two or more species in Africa. It, however, 
has been definitely settled that such variations are not constant, and that 
there is but a single species. Although it may be that some adult specimens 
of the Indian lion are maneless, yet well-maned examples have been killed, 
while those which were stated to prove the existence of a maneless race are 
now known to have been not full grown. 

With regard tO' the variations of the African lion, the Dutch hunters main- 
tain the existence of from three to four distinct species. 

For my part, I cannot see that there is any reason for supposing that 
more than one species exists, and as out of fifty male lion skins scarcely two 
will be found exactly alike in the color and length of the mane, I think it 
"vvould be as reasonable to suppose that there are twenty species as three. The 



r//£ STORY OF THE LION. 



G5 



fact is that between the animal with hardly a vestige of a mane, and the far 
handsomer but much less common beast, with a long flowing black mane, 
every possible intermediate variety may be found. On one occasion I shot 
two old male lions, which I found lying together under the same bush, both 
of which agreed as near as possible in size, but while the one was full-maned, 
with a very dark-colored fur, the other was very yellow and had but little 
mane. Shortly after, with a brother sportsman, I again met with a dark, 
full-maned lion in company with a nearly maneless light-colored one. Of stil! 
more importance was the killing of a lioness with three cubs, of which two 




AFRICAN L^OiMo 



were males and one a female. Of the two male cubs, the one, owing to the 
dark color of the tips of the hair, was almost black, while the other was 
reddish-yellow. The skin of the female cub was also of a light color. Now 
I firmly believe that the two male cubs would have grown up, the one into 
a dark-skinned, black-maned lion, the other into a yellow lion, with but little 
mane; and further than this, I believe that the two pairs of males I have 
mentioned above were cubs of the same litters, and had been hunting in couples 
since their cubhood. 

It seems quite probable that the lions of one district may differ to a certain 



66 THE STORY OP THE LlOM. 

extent in some respects from those of another. Thus it seems pretty well 
ascertained that the lions from the Cape and Algeria have larger and finer 
manes than those from other districts. Gordon dimming states that the 
manes and coats of lions inhabiting open, treeless districts, like the great 
Kalahari desert of South Africa, are fuller and handsomer than in those 
inhabiting forest districts. 

The relative sizes of the Indian and African lion are : Indian from 8 to 9 
feet, African from 10 to 11 feet; females are about one foot shorter than the 
males. Weight, from 400 tO' 600 pounds. 

The present range of the lion includes the whole continent of Africa, from 
Cape Colony to Abyssinia and Algeria, although in many of the more civilized 
districts the animal is now greatly reduced in numbers, or even completely 
exterminated. In Asia it is found through Mesopotamia and South Persia 
to the northwestern districts of India, being nearly extinct in the latter country. 
Formerly the lion had a much larger range, extending westward into Syria 
and Arabia, and ranging over a considerable portion of Southeastern Europe, 
such as Roumania and Greece. Bones and teeth found in the caverns of 
Western Europe prove that lions once roamed over Germany, France, Italy, 
Spain and the British Isles. The ancient lions of Western Europe were 
exterminated, probably, by the cold of the glacial period; but the destruction 
of those infesting Eastern Europe and parts of Western Asia during the 
historic epoch was probably effected, at least to a considerable extent, by 
human agency. 

In South Africa lions are now scarce in the districts to the southward of 
the Orange River, but are locally abundant in the regions farther north, such 
as Mashonaland. The lion is now quite unknown in Asia to the northward 
of India. The Arabs say it is found in Arabia ; but of this we have at least 
no evidence. Occasionally it crosses the Euphrates, and a few years agO' a 
lion's carcass was brought intO' Damascus. Between the Lower Tigris and 
Euphrates they still abound. Mr. Layard saw them frequently, and during* 
his excavations in the neighborhood of Babylon, found fresh traces of their 
footsteps almost daily am.ong the ruins. It extends also far higher up, to 
the jungle of the Khabour, or Chebar, on the upper Tigris, above Mosul 
and Nineveh (the ancient Chebar), where Layard mentions an Arab being 
attacked by one, and escaping with the loss of his mare. 

Lions, which are very numerous in the reedy swamps bordering the Tigris 
and Euphrates, are found also in the plains of Susiana, the modern Khuzistan, 
and extend into the mountain country south of Shiraz. There is no accurate 



THE STORY OP THE UOM. 



&1 



information of their northern limits, but Captain Pierson, who spent many 
years in the country between Tehran and Baghdad, says that he never heard 
of Hons in the oak forest west of Karmanshah. It is the acorns O'f this same 
oak forest which feed the wild pigs whose presence tempts the lion into the 
mountains of Fars. The little valley of Dashtiarjan, thirty-five miles west 
of Shiraz, is notorious for the number of lions found in its vicinity. Part 
of the valley is occupied by a fresh-water lake, on the edges of which are 
extensive beds of reeds ; the surrounding hills, which rise four thousand feet 
above the valley, itself six thousand five hundred feet above the sea, are 




LION CUBS AND THEIR HABITS. 



covered with oak forest, or with pretty thick brushwood of hawthorn, wild 
pear, and other bushes, and contain very extensive vineyards. Dashtiarjan 
is thus a perfect paradise for swine, and they increase and multiply accordingly, 
so that the lions have plenty to eat, varying the monotony of constant pork 
with an occasional ibex, or with a calf from the herds which graze in the valley. 
Like most of the larger cats, lions are essentially nocturnal in their habits, 
and they are thus frequently only met with by chance in districts where, from 
the abundance of their tracks and from their nocturnal roarings, they are 
known to be plentiful. During the daytime they are accustomed to lie asleep 



6§ THE STORY OF THE LION. 

in thick beds of reeds, where such are to be found, or in drier districts, among 
thickets and bushes. 

The most hkely places in the bush country in which to find Hons, as far 
as my experience goes, are the rekabee thorns, the dense evergreens which 
Hne the rivers, and, during summer, the reeds on the margin of lagoons or 
streams, while in the open flats any patch of reeds or tall grass suffices to 
conceal them. The best chances for killing them are obtained in the first- 
mentioned spots, as you often come across them asleep when you are stealing 
about after game. From these and similar haunts, the lion issues forth at 
sundown to commence his nightly prowls; dark and stormy nights being 
those on which he is most active, while he is more cautious during bright 
jnoonlight nights, especially as regards his visits to the drinking-places. 

Unlike most of his congeners, the lion is not a climber, and this general 
inability to ascend trees has saved the lives of many sportsmen and travelers, 
although not unfrequently at the cost of a long and thirsty waiting. 

From observing both lions and tigers in their native haunts I am of 
opinion that the former are bolder than the latter, while they are certainly 
far more noisy. The first peculiarity that struck me in the African lions was 
their noisiness. I have constantly been for months together in countries in 
India abounding in tigers without hearing their cry. Indeed, it is by no 
means a common sound in any Indian forest. Leopards, I should say, are 
much more frequently heard than tigers. The cry of the two animals, 
commonly known as roaring, though it is utterly different from the harsh 
groAvl of anger to which the term might most appropriately be applied, is 
very similar, and consists of several deep notes uttered rather quickly one 
after the other, and repeated at longer and shorter intervals. 

Very different impressions appear to be produced on different persons by 
the lion's roar, some listeners appearing to regard it as a rather commonplace 
and by no means awe-inspiring sound, while others, and we believe the majority, 
speak of it in far different terms. Such dififerences of impression must, it is 
obvious, be largely due to personal disposition. 

Perhaps the lowest estimation of the lion's roar is that of Livingstone. 
He writes that "it is calculated to inspire fear when heard in a pitchy dark 
night amidst the tremendous peals of an African thunderstorm, and the vivid 
Hashes of lightning which leave on the eye the impression of stone-blindness, 
while the rain pouring down extinguishes the fire, and there is neither the 
jirotection of a tree nor a chance that your gun will go off. But when 
any one is snug in a house or a wagon, the roar of the lion inspires no awe. 



THE STORY OF THE LION. 



69 



A European cannot distinguish between the note of a Hon and that of an 
ostrich. In general the voice of the former seems to come deeper from the 
chest ; but to this day I can only pronounce with certainty from which of the 
two it proceeds, by knowing that the ostrich roars by day and the lion by 
night. The natives assert that they can detect a difference at the beginning 
of the sound." 

A recent writer, who is fully impressed with the grandeur of the lion's 
roar, is by no' means disposed tO' admit the justness of its comparison to 




A TROOP OF LIONS SEEN IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



the voice of the ostrich. He observes that when a lion is "roaring loudly in 
concert with others at a short distance off, the sound is grand and awe-inspiring 
in the extreme ; in fact, I have never heard anything of a similar nature that 
can compare with it, for it is no exaggeration to say that the ground actually 
trembles with the volume of sound. I say this unhesitatingly, for all that 
many people would have us believe to the contrary, maintaining that there 
is nothing in it, and encteavoring tO' compare it to the 'booming' of the 
cock ostrich. At a great distance, and therefore, when heard indistinctly, 
the low, sullen roaring of a sing-le lion has certainly much resemblance tO' 



70 ' THE STORY OF THE LION. 

the sound emitted by the ostrich during the pairing season; but persuade 
either the lion or the ostrich to come nearer, and one might then as well try 
to compare the rumbling of cart wheels o^'er a wooden bridge with the 
incessant roll of thunder among mountains. But a lion makes other sounds 
far more disconcerting — because usually only heard at close quarters — than 
that to- which it gives vent when, in company with others, it has killed a head 
of game, or is retiring to its lair, full fed. There is the constant low growling 
of the lion crouching in cover, uncertain wdiether tO' fight or to fly, as, with 
flattened ears and nervously twitching tail, he studies the situation, hoping 
by his attitude to warn off the disturber of his solitude. There is the angry 
snarl of the lion disturbed at his meals, when his appetite is not yet satisfied, 
and when one has come upon him so suddenly as to give him no time to 
clear off; and, worse than all, the short, coughing grunts which often accom- 
pany a charge, and which startle the intruder in his domains as he bounds 
away. All these sounds are by no means musical, and, whether heard by 
day or by night, are well calculated to try the nerves." Similar testimony 
as to the impressiveness of the lion's roar is given by Gordon Gumming, who 
describes it as consisting at certain times of five or six repetitions of a low. 
deep moaning, ending off with a faint and scarcely audible sigh, while at 
others it takes the form of loud, deep-toned, solemn roars, quickly repeated, 
and increasing in intensity till the third or fourth, after which it gradually dies 
away in a succession of low muffled growlings, like the roll of distant thunder. 
Then, again, the veteran hunter Sir Samuel Baker gives his impressions in 
the following words: "There is nothing so beautiful or enjoyable to my 
ears as the roar of a lion on a still night, when everything is calm, and no 
sound disturbs the solitude except the awe-inspiring notes, like the rumble 
of distant thunder, as they die away into- the deepest bass. The first few 
notes somewhat resemble the bellow of a bull ; these are repeated in slow 
succession four or five times, after which the voice is sunk into a lower key, 
and a number of quick short roars are at length followed by rapid coughing 
notes, so deep and powerful that they seem to- vibrate through the earth." 

This vibrating and reverberating sound alluded to- in the last sentence is 
intensified by the habit lions often have of putting their mouths close to the 
ground while roaring; Livingstone mentioning an instance where a lion stood 
for hours roaring near his camp, and making the sound reverberate in this 
manner. 

The intensity and grandeur of the sound must, however, be largely increased 
when, as is not unfrequently the case, a party of lions are heard roaring in 



THE STORY OF THE LION. 



n 



concert; and the din reaches its height when two or three troops of lions 
approach a watering-place at the same time. On such occasions every member 
of each troop sounds a bold roar of defiance at the opposite parties ; and when 
one roars all roar together, and each seems to vie with his comrades in the 
intensity and power of his voice. 

As a rule, lions commence tO' roar with the falling shades of evening, and 
continue with longer or shorter intervals throughout the night ; but in secluded 
and undisturbed districts he has frequently heard the roaring sustained as 




THE MANELESS LION OF SENEGAL. 



late as 9 or lo o'clock in the morning on bright and sunny days. During 
cloudy and rainy weather they will however roar, although in a lower tone, 
throughout the day. 

Although in some districts lions are commonly met either alone, or in pairs 
of males and females, this does not seem tO' be generally the case in the 
interior of South Africa, where it is more usual tO' meet with four or five 
lions consorting together, while parties of from ten to twelve are by no means 
rare. Such a party of twelve would, in the experience of the same observer, 
probably comprise about two adult males, three or four full-grown lionesses, 



72 THE STORY OF THE LION. 

and half a dozen large cubs, which, except for their somewhat slighter build, 
might easily be mistaken for mature females. On one occasion we came 
across a party consisting of a lion, three full-grown lionesses, and three small 
cubs; and if each of these females had possessed a pair of large cubs, such 
an assemblage would have been rightly termed a party of ten lions. It was 
probably such a party, although comprising more adult males, that Lord 
Randolph Churchill encountered during his recent journey in Mashonaland, 
when in company with his hunter Lee, "We were riding along," writes his 
lordship, "through a small open glade covered with high grass, Lee a few 
yards ahead of me, wdien I suddenly saw him turn round, cry out something 
to me, and point with his finger ahead. I looked, and saw lolloping along 
through and over the grass, about forty yards of¥, a yellow animal alx)ut as 
big as a small bullock. It flashed across me that it was a lion — the last 
thing in the world that I was thinking of. I was going tO' dismount and 
take aim, for I was not frightened at the idea of firing at a retreating lion, 
but Lee called out in succession five or six times, 'Look, look!' at the same 
time pointing with his finger in different directions in front. I saw, to my 
astonishment, and rather to my dismay, that the glade appeared tO'be alive with 
lions. There they were, trooping and trotting along ahead of us like a lot 
of enormous dogs — great yellow objects, offering such a sight as I had never 
dreamed of. Lee turned tO' me and said, 'What w'ill you do?' I said, 'I 
suppose we must go after them,' thinking all the time that I was making 
a very foolish answer. This I am the more convinced of now, for Lee told me 
afterward that many old hunters in South Africa will turn away from such 
a troop of lions as we had before us. We trotted on after them a short 
distance tO' where the grass was more open, the lions trotting along ahead 
of us in the most - composed and leisurely fashion, very different from the 
galloping off of a surprised and startled antelope." 

Lord Randolph Churchill himself counted no less than seven lions, while 
his hunter believed that there were several more in the party. 

When a male lion has selected a female partner the union very generally 
lasts for the greater portion or the entire lives of the pair. From the evidence 
of specimens kept in captivity it is known that from twoi to six cubs may be 
produced at a birth, at least in the captive condition. It is stated, however, 
that in India wild lionesses do not produce more than two- or three cubs at 
a birth. When caught young, lions are easily tamed, and the whole disposi- 
tion of the animal in captivity is much more gentle than is that of the tiger. 

In Persia the staple food of the lion is the wild pigs that frequent the 



THE STORY OF THE LION. 



73 



oak forests to feed on acorns. In India, the lion usually feeds on deer, 
antelope, wild pigs, cattle, horses, donkeys and camels. In Africa, they prey 
upon antelopes, zebras, quaggas, buffaloes and giraffes. 

Were a zebra, a fat rhinoceros and a fat buffalo' toi be kille.d and left out 
it is probable that they would be eaten in the order I have named. Soft 
succulent fat is what the lion probably considers most toothsome, and zebras 
supply this in a higher degree than any other animal, save the rhinoceros 
and the hippopotamus, neither of which it is able to kill; but on the other 
hand, the zebra confines itself to the open, as far as possible, never approaches 
within springing distance of a thicket, and rarely, unless when going to water, 
gives the lion a chance. Buffaloes, on the other hand, are nearly always 




LION CUBS THAT LOOK LIKE LAMBS. 



in and close tO' cover, presenting continual opportunities for a successful 
stalk ; and though the danger in attacking them is much greater, as is proved 
by the no means rare instances of lions being maimed, and even killed in 
such contests, yet for the above reason they form their chief food. 

It must not, however, be supposed that lions by any means restrict them- 
selves to the flesh of animals which have fallen to their own attacks. In 
addition to eating the flesh of animals recently killed by hunters, lions will 
also prey upon carcasses in an advanced state of decomposition. When 
?lephants have been shot, lions will prey upon the carcasses as they lie festering 



74 THE STORY OF THE LION. 

in the rays of a tropical sun, returning night after night to the feast, until 
no more meat is left. This occurs in parts of the country abounding in game, 
where it would give a party of lions but little trouble or exertion to catch a 
zebra, bufifalo, or antelope, and procure themselves a meal of fresh meat. 
In the same way, no matter how plentiful game may be, lions will almost 
invariably feast upoii any dead animal left by the hunter, from a buffalo tO' a 
steinbuck, that they may happen tO' come across. 

Near villages, when lions grow too old tO' be able to take game for them- 
selves, they will take tO' killing goats ; while women or children who happen 
to come in their way at night also become victims. On the other hand, when 
far away from human habitations, such decrepit lions catch mice and other 
small rodents, and will even at times eat grass, although this may be taken 
n''edicinally. 

That such lions, which have become toO' feeble to prey upon game, would 
naturally develop intO' "man-eaters" if they were permitted tO' live, appears 
highly probable. The absence of man-eating lions in parts of Africa is due 
to the superior boldness of the African natives over those of India, for even 
among the least martial tribes of South Africa, if two or three people are 
killed by a lion, the population of the surrounding country is roused, and, a 
party being formed, the lion is usually surrounded and stabbed to death with 
assegais; while among such warlike stribes as the Matabele, if a lion only kills 
an O'X, or even a goat, its fate is usually sealed, or even if not killed, it gets 
such a scare that it is glad to quit the district. Such a thing as a man-eater, 
or even an habitual cattle-slayer, would never be tolerated for an instant. 

My shooting experiences in eastern South Africa, in the districts of Zulu- 
land, Tongaland, and Swaziland, show that man-eating lions are tO' be met 
with in some regions. I became an accessory tO' the death of two such man- 
eaters, one of vvhich had well-nigh depopulated a district, having killed between 
thirty and forty individuals ; while the second, although dwelling in an unin- 
habited country full of game, had become notorious for its attacks upon the 
camps of the hunters. The former, indeed, appeared to^ be an animal in the 
full enjoyment of bodily strength, as it is said to' have habitually leaped over 
the high fences which surround the Zulu villages. 

With regard to the method in which lions kill and carry off the larger 
animals upon which they prey, it may be observed, in the first place, that 
there is some doubt whether death is effected by dislocating the neck of the 
victim, as is always done by tigers. In a cow killed by a lion in Abyssinia 
the vertebrae of the neck were not dislocated; and I saw a lioness hold 'a 



THE STORY OF THE LION. 



75 



camel for several minutes without attempting to break its neck. I have seen 
a horse, a young elephant and two antelopes killed by a bite in the throat ; 
while I have also known instances of horses and zebras being killed by a bite 
on the back of the neck behind the head. Buffaloes are sometimes killed by 
a dislocation of the neck, which is effected by the lion springing onto their 
shoulders, and then seizing their noses with one paw, giving the neck a sudden 
wrench. 

It was formerly a prevalent notion that lions were in the habit of carrying 




A PLAYFUL OLD LION. 



O'ff the carcasses of large animals, like oxen and buffaloes, by throiwing them 
over their back and walking bodily away with them. All recent observers 
are, however, agreed that this is by no' means a correct statement, and that 
their invariable practice is to transport such carcasses by dragging them along 
Ithe ground. A South African lion would be quite incapable of lifting a 
Buffalo from the ground, much less of leaping over a fence with it, as the 
lion of North Africa has been alleged to do. In referring to an instance of 



76 THE STORY OF THE LION. 

this nature when a North African lion was reported to have leaped over the 
thorn fence which formed a protection to a camp, and, after seizing a full- 
grown ox, bounded back with its victim, Sir Samuel Baker writes as follows : 
"In the confusion of a night attack the scare is stupendous, and no' person 
would be able to declare that he actually saw the lion jump the fence with 
the bullock in its grip. It might appear to do this, but the ox would struggle 
violently, and in this struggle it would most probably burst through the fence, 
and subsequently be dragged away by the lion. * * * It is quite a mistake 
to suppose that a lion can carry a full-grown ox; it will partially lift the fore- 
quarter, and drag the carcass along the ground." 

It is stated that the usual pace of a lion when undisturbed is a walk, but even 
then, from the length of his stride, he gets over the ground quicker than appears 
to be the case. When going more rapidly I have never seen a lion bound, but 
they come along at a clumsy gallop, somewhat after the manner of a dog, get- 
ting over the ground very quickly. 

In regard tO' the ferocity or otherwise of the lion's disposition, very con- 
flicting statements will be found in the writings of different observers. Thus, 
whereas Livingstone states that nothing would lead him to attribute to the ' 
lion either the ferocious or noble character ascribed to it by others, Sir Samuel 
Baker is disposed to take a rather opposite view, observing that, although he j 
does not consider the lion tO' be either so formidal^le or so ferocious as the j 
tiger, yet there is no reason for despising an animal which has been respected ! 
from the most remote antiquity. 

All writers appear, however, to be agreed that, as a general rule (although | 
there are exceptions), a lion will not gO' out of his way to make an unprovoked | 
attack upon human beings, and that, in point of fact, he will rather shun a 
conflict when possible. "There is nearly always," writes Mr. Drummond, 
"some explanation of its behavior when it acts otherwise; either the hunter 
has approached so near before being discovered that the animal is afraid to 
turn tail, and, urged by its very fears, makes a charge ; or it may be half-fam- 
ished, and having got hold of some prey, either of your killing or its own, will : 
not quit it without a contest; or, if a lioness with cubs, will fight in defense of ' 
their supposed danger." Sir Samuel Baker's testimony is of a very similar 
character, when he mentions that the expert swordsmen of Central Africa have 
no dread of the lion when undisturbed by sportsmen, although they hold him 
in the highest respect when he becomes the object of chase. Again, in another 
passage, the same writer mentions that among the Hamran Arabs of the 
Sudan the lions, although numerous, are never regarded as dangerous. 



THE STORY OF THE LION. 



^y 



That lions, especially when hungry, will, however, on occasion attack 
human beings, — on foot or when mounted, — there is abundant evidence. A 
hunter engaged in stalking a rhinosceros, on looking back was horrified 
to find that he himself was being stalked by a lion. There was but one time 
in my career when a lion, driven by hunger, attacked me personally; but I 
believe that there are some lions which will always make unprovoked attacks. 
This view is supported by an account of an attack made upon three natives in 
Eastern Africa. The three natives in question were passing along the edge of 
a certain lagoon, when, without further warning than a slight rustle, a lion 




THE KING OF BEASTS DRINKING AT A POOL. 



sprang upon the foremost, crushing him to the ground. His terrified com- 
rades, throwing away the chance of shooting the brute while it was still upon 
its first victim and its eyes probably closed, rushed to the nearest trees for 
safety, but, once there, feeling ashamed of their cowardly desertion of an 
old companion, they descended, and walking forward together were just on 
the point of firing, when, with a roar that almost deprived them of the power 
to run, the lion charged, caught the hindmost, and after shaking him for a 



'J'g 



THE STORY OF THE LION. 



second or two, gave chase to the other, who, however, had profited by the time 
to remove himself, by a bare foot or so, out of reach of the spring the enraged 
animal gave as it saw that one had so far escaped. It then returned to its last 
victim, not yet dead, took him up in its mouth, dropped him, tossed him from 
paw to paw as a cat does a mouse, and at last, as if wearied by so much unac- 
customed gentleness, it allowed its savage nature to gain the mastery, and with 
one crunch of its powerful jaw put him out of his pain." The sole survivor 
of this trao-edv. after having been besieged for hours in a tree, during which 




SIR EDWIN LANDSEER"s WORLD FAMOUS PAINTING OF A LION. 

he had a hairbreadth escape when descending to reach his gun, finally had the 
satisfaction of putting a bullet through the ribs of the lion. 

Lion-hunting, under any circumstances, must of necessity be a dangerous 
pursuit ; but it may be followed to a certain extent with comparative immunity 
from harm by those who have the necessary nerve and coolness, coupled with 
suflficient knowledge of the habits of the animals. I consider the lion a far 
more dangerous animal to encounter than any other creature in South Africa. 
It is true, indeed, that a much greater number of casualties occur from 
buffalo-shooting than in lion-hunting, but for every lion that has of late years 



THE STORY OF THE LlOM. 



^§ 



been "bagged" in the interior of South Africa, at least fifty buffaloes have been 
laid low. As a general rule the danger is reduced to a minimum when hunting 
with dogs, as the lion's attention is generally concentrated on his canine foes ; 
but even then it sometimes happens that he will dash straight through them 
to attack the hunter. A mounted hunter, except when the movements of his 
horse are impeded by thick forest or by yielding sand, can generally escape 
when pursued, as the pace of the average lion is not sufficient tO' enable him to^ 
overtake the average horse. If, however, on foot, and without dogs, though 
there is little danger in attacking lions in the first instance, yet to follow up 




A. PERFECT SPECIMEN OF A FULL-GROWN LION. 



a wounded one is very ticklish work, especially in long grass or thick cover, 
for there is probably no animal of its size in the world that can conceal itself 
behind so slight a screen, or rush upon its pursuer with such lightning-like 
rapidity. 

It should always be recollected, before meddling with lions, that if you 
do come to close quarters with them, death is the probable result. There are 
cases within my own knowledge where, single-handed and armed only with 
a spear, a native has succeeded in killing one that has sprung upon him, without 
receiv'-ng in return anything but trifling injuries; but these are only excep- 



80 THE STORY OF THE LION. 

tions that prove the rule that when they strike they kill. * * * It is a grand 
sight to see one charge a native regiment sent out after it, as they sometimes 
are, springing over the heads of the first line right intO' the center, flying about, 
knocking men down with every blow, until, a complete sieve of assegai wounds, 
it dies fighting. 

The lion tries to avoid man until wounded, and it is only in exceptional 
cases of there being young ones to guard, or from astonishment at- seeing the 
hunter so close tO' them, that they charge when being tracked. They charge 
with the same coughing roar that a tiger does, and come at great speed close 
to the ground, not bounding in the air as they are represented in pictures. 
Their ears are pressed close tO' the head, giving them the comical appearance 
of being without ears. So large an animal coming at full speed against you 
of course knocks you off your legs. The claws and teeth entering the flesh 
do not hurt so much as you would think. The only really painful part of the 
business is the squeeze given by the jaws on the bone. I felt none of the 
dreamy stupor Livingstone describes, but, on the contrary, felt as usual. I 
adopted the course of lying quite still, which, I believe, is the best thing one 
can do, as you are quite helpless with a heavy animal on you, and they are 
inclined to make grabs at everything that moves, and the fewer bites you can 
get off with the better. 

Twice in my life I have escaped death by the ruse of feigning death when 
in the power of a lion, but I know O'f nO' other situation in which a man can 
be placed which requires as much nerve and control of the muscles. Imagine 
a great brute nosing and snifiing every part of your body from your head to 
feet; imagine feeling its hot breath or the saliva from its dripping jaws upon 
your face, while you know that to. stir or give any sign of life means instant 
death, and you will have some idea how a hunter feels when at the mercy of 
the king of beasts. 



\ 




THE STORY OF THE ELK. 



The fiercest and most interesting combat I ever witnessed between wald 
animals was a struggle between two male elk for the leadership of a herd. 

The challenger was a fine bull weighing about a thousand pounds. He 
had been roaming solitary and suddenly had come upon a herd at the head 
of which was a bull almost his equal in weight and beauty. 

As he approached the herd, or harem, as it is called sometimes, the 
challenger blew a loud whistle of defiance. If the reader will take a half- 
pint bottle and blow strongly into it, a similar sound will be produced. This 
whistle was at once answered by the ruler of the herd, who stepped boldly 
^orth to do battle with the intruder. With heads lowered between their fore- 
feet, the two adversaries walked around waiting for an opening. The leader 
of the herd was the first to be thrown off his guard, and the other made a 
savage rush at him. The leader instantly recovered, and countered the 
charge. As they rushed together their antlers struck with such terrific force 
that the report could be heard half a mile away. Then they slowly retreated, 
bellowing, grumbling, and grinding their teeth in a paroxysm of rage. 
Again they circled around and when an opportunity offered again they 
clashed. This continued for some time, and I noticed that the leader of the 
herd was growing weaker at each successive encounter. He was now fight- 
jing on the defensive, while the intruding elk kept up his aggressive charges. 

At last the leader of the herd could no longer meet the assaults of his 



8^ THE STORY OF THE ELK. 

stronger antagonist. He was caught off his guard. The intruder made a 
fierce charge. The other turned to meet it, but he was not fast enough, ajid 
received a frightful wound in the flank from his assailant. 

The leader sullenly retired, bellowing as he went, and the intruder installed 
himself at the head of the herd and led his wives in a different direction from 
the wounded animal. I put the wounded animal out of pain and secured a 
beautiful pair of antlers. 

The wapiti, commonly called the elk, is the largest representative of the 
deer family in America. Full-grown stags have been shot by me, the weight 
of which was over a thousand pounds. They measure as high as six feet 
(eighteen hands). The antlers sometimes measure sixty-four tO' sixty-six 
inches in length. 

The range of the wapiti has of late years been greatly restricted by the 
advance of civilization, until now the animal is nearly extinct. The wapiti 
was formerly found in nearly all parts of the United States, in Mexico, and in 
Canada, as far north as the 6oth parallel of north latitude; but it has vanished 
before the approach of civilization, and is now found only in the remotest 
mountain fastnesses west of the Missouri River, or in the great forests of 
British America. The largest herds now remaining outside of the National 
Yellowstone Park are found in the Olympic Mountains of Washington, and 
among the mountains of Vancouver Island. There are still some remaining 
in the Cascade and Rocky ranges, but they do not congregate there in large 
herds as they do in the Coast ranges. Less than ten years ago there were 
many secluded districts in Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana, where, during 
the late autumn and winter, wapiti might be seen banded together in herds 
numbering many thousands of individuals; whereas now, it is seldom that 
any can be found together. 

The general habits of the wapiti seem tO' be very similar to those of the red 
deer, the old stags living apart from the main herd during the greater part of 
the year; and in the pairing-season taking exclusive possession of a party of 
hinds, after having vanquished their rivals in fight. The shedding of the ant- 
lers is late, generally taking place in the full-grown stags during the latter 
part of December or the first half of January. The new antlers begin to 
sprout in March or April, and are fully complete by the middle of August. 

When wapiti were found on the great prairies, the Indians were accus- 
tomed to hunt them on horseback by forming a wide circle of mounted men. 
from whom a certain number were detached to harass the unfortunate ani- 
mals until they were brought to a standstill. Another favorite method was 



THE STORY OP THE ELK. 



83 



by forming a cordon of horsemen and driving a wliole herd over a precipice. 
At the present day the more sportsman-like method of hunting is, however, 
almost exclusively employed; and it appears that the wapiti is an animal far 
less difficult to approach than the red deer, while it is killed by a compara- 
tively slight wound. 

The wapiti swims well, and is fond of the water. He feeds upon lichens, 
young shoots of trees, wild vines and various grasses. His cry is very pecu- 
Har, something like the shrill sound of a railway whistle, and audible at the 








VOUNG BULL ELK. 



distance of a mile. His flesh is well-flavored and nutritious; and his skin is 
much used in the manufacture of belts, thongs and moccasins. The teeth are 
worn by the Indians as a personal decoratioii. 

In the autumn, in the pride of his strength, he fears no enemy; and in 
the company of his wives, that look to him for the protection which he is 
ever ready to afiford, passes the hours safe from the attacks of those animals 
which at other seasons make him their prey. In the deep snow of winter 



84 THE STORY OF THE ELK. 

he can neither fly nor oppose a successful resistance to his foes, that set upon 
him in troops; and in the spring, when thin and feeble from the want of 
necessary pasturage, and deprived of his horns, that drop ofif during the early 
months of the year, he is but a semblance of his former self, and can make 
only a feeble defense against the most insignificant of his enemies. At such 
a time he keeps in the thickets, as much out of sight as possible, shunning the 
company of even his own species, and remaining a recluse until his horns are 
grown again. 

During spring and summer the bulls herd by themselves. The females 
run together in small numbers, accompanied by their fawns. They have 
few means of defense when thus absent from their lords, and if set upon 
by any roving animal, are obliged to place all their hope of escape in their 
speed. A most formidable enemy tO' them is the puma, which, fortunately 
for them, is but seldom met with. This animal is the largest and most power- 
ful of the cats which live in the districts inhabited by the wapiti. This pow- 
erful animal is possessed of great cunning, as the following instance will 
show. A hunter, in pursuit of a puma, or panther, as it is often called in 
America, for a greater portion of a day, after proceeding some time, observed 
that he came again and again upon a man's track, mingled with that of the 
puma; and he soon became conscious that the crafty animal had made a cir- 
cuit, and had got behind, having thus become the pursuer in place of remain- 
ing the pursued. Instead of going any farther he quickly stepped behind a 
tree, and with his gun presented and ready, awaited the approach of his dis- 
agreeable attendant. Soon he saw the puma coming carefully along, sniffing 
his tracks at intervals, and endeavoring to catch a glimpse of him in front. 
Waiting a favorable moment, he fired from his concealment, and fortunately 
killed the animal on the spot. It proved tO' be a male of the largest size. 

The panther frequently conceals itself in a tree, directly over the path 
of the wapiti. Slowly they come, those timid, graceful creatures, ever and 
anon stopping to sniff the air, or to catch with ample ears the sound of an 
enemy's foot. But there is nothing that they can hear or scent, and uncon- 
scious of their great peril they pass beneath the limb. O'nly an instant is 
needed to gather himself together, and with his natural fierceness increased 
many-fold by long-continued fasting, the panther descends upon the broad 
back of his victim. Paralyzed for an instant by the suddenness of the shock, 
the poor deer staggers beneath the weight of the terrible beast; then fear 
and the consciousness of imminent danger give it renewed strength, and it 
bounds through the forest in the wake of its terrified companions, with the 



THE STORY OF THE ELK. 



85 



cruel rider tearing its tender flesh with both fangs and claws. The contest 
is soon over, for the deer is a defenseless creature. 

The European elk and the American moose, probably members of the 
same species, differ from the deer in the setting-on of the antlers of the male. 
I shot a moose in Canada the antlers of which weighed over sixty pounds, 
with a span of five and a half feet. The buck was an old one, and judging 
from the antlers they were of ten years' growth. 




cow ELK AND CALVES. 



The height of the elk has been much exaggerated, some writers asserting 
that the male may stand as much as eight feet at the withers. I believe, how- 
ever, that it is safe tO' say that it may attain a height of six feet, or occasionally 
rather more, and I may probably put the extreme limits as not exceeding 
six and a half feet. The weight of an average adult male elk is given as 700 
lbs., but large specimens will reach 900 to 1,000, and, it is said, even as much 
as 1,200 lbs. 

Adult male elk, and occasionally the females, have a curious pendulous 



86 THE STORY OF THE ELK. 

appendage on the throat formed by a dilatation of the skin, and covered with 
long and coarse blackish hairs. This appendage may vary in length from 
four to ten inches, and is knoAvn to the American hunters as the bell ; its use is 

unknown. 

The sense of smell in the elk is very acute, and enables it to detect an 
enemy at a great distance. From the peculiar character of the lip, the animal 
is enabled to pull down the tender branches of the maple and other trees upon 
which it feeds. It is so heavy that, when walking on snow, its feet sink 
through to the ground. The moose has been domesticated and taught to 
draw sledges and carts. It is not a vicious animal, although dangerous 
enough when brought to bay. The tongue is much esteemed by epicures. 
From the great height of the shoulders, above the crupper, its gait is very 
awkward and clumsy, and, when the animal moves rapidly, the hind legs are 
thrown very much apart. 

In Sweden and Norway elk are either hunted by being driven or stalked. 
In the autumn of 1885 the elk in the forest of Huneberg, which had been 
preserved for thirty-five years, were hunted by a royal party, when fifty-one 
head were shot; and in 1888 upwards of sixty-six were killed in the same 
forest. In this country there are now three legitimate methods of elk- 
hunting, namely, stalking or still-hunting, fire-hunting, and calling; the 
wholesale slaughter of the animals when imprisoned in their yards by the 
snows of winter having fortunately been prohibited by the legislature. In 
the far west, the best season for elk-hunting is during the months of October 
,and November; the first snowfalls occurring in the mountains during the 
latter month, and the males being then incessantly calling or fighting with 
their fellows. To be successful in elk-stalking requires the aid of an ex- 
perienced Indian guide, as very few men of European descent can attain that 
marvelloiis skill in tracking which appears to come naturally tO' the Indian. 

It appears to be only in the north-eastern districts that the practice of 
calling with a birch-bark pipe is followed, as the custom is quite unknown in 
the Rocky Mountains. The Indian, having selected a favorable position for 
his purpose, generally on the margin of a lake, heath, or bog, where he can 
readily conceal himself, puts his birchen trumpet to his mouth, and gives the 
call of the cow moose in a manner so startling and truthful that only the edu- 
cated ear of an Indian could detect the counterfeit. If the call is successful, 
presently the responsive bull moose is heard crashing through the forest,j 
uttering his blood-curdling bellow or roar, and rattling his antlers against the 
trees in challenge to all rivals. In other districts the call of the male is imi' 



THE STORY OF THE ELK. 



87 



tated by drawing the shoulder-bone of a moose against the dry bark of a 
young tree, and any male that may be in the neighborhood advances to an- 
swer the challenge of the supposed rival. 

"Fire hunting," that is, using a torch at night, is an unsportsmanlike 
method of hunting. The brilliant light seems to fascinate the animal, and 
it will readily approach within range of the rifle. The torch placed in the 
bow of a canoe is also used as a lure on a lake or a river, but is attended with 




BULL ELK WHICH HAS SHED ITS ANTLERS. 



considerable danger, as a wounded or enragfed moose will not unfrequently 
upset the canoe. 

A favorite mode of moose-hunting, when the snow lay very deep on the 
ground, was by running them down in snow-shoes. Accidents were, how- 
ever, frequent in this kind of hunting, more especially during the spring, 
when the snow is covered with a thin crust. At such times, if the hunter 
happened incautiously to run too near the moose, the animal would turn 
suddenly, and leaping upon its pursuer trample him under foot. In British 
America the Indians during the winter were accustomed in deep snow to 
make a kind of fence of three poles, tied equidi§t?int from each other, a little 



88 THE STORY OF THE ELK. 



taller than a man, stretching perhaps for two days' march between lakes, o 
a lake and a river, or between two mountains, or in any particular place 
where the moose were accustomed to pass. Spaces were left vacant here 
and there in this fence, and in these snares were set, in which the unfortunate 
animals became entangled. 

The fiesh of the elk, in spite of some coarseness of grain, is generally 
regarded as forming excellent venison, although it has a slightly musky 
taste. The large and fleshy nose is, however, esteemed the greatest dehcacy. 
Elk manage to maintain themselves in fair condition throughout the winter, 
so that their flesh is eatable when that of the ordinary American deer is so 
poor and dry as to be unpalatable. 

Although specially protected in Ontario, the elk is, however, now rapidly 
disappearing from the forests of North America; and this is not to be 
wondered at, when we learn that some years ago several hundreds of these 
animals were shot on one occasion in New Brunswick merely for the sake 
of their hides; their carcases being left to rot on the ground. Elk are still 
comparatively common in Alaska, but have more or less completely disap- 
peared from certain districts where they were formerly abundant. They have 
entirely ceased their visits to Newfoundland; but in Labrador many still 
remain, though gradually retreating thence tow^ards the more secluded and 
inaccessible portions of the country. From Upper Canada all are gone, 
and but few remain in Lower Canada, where, fifty years since, they were 
abundant,, What are left have retreated to the great dense forests of the 
north. 



»fl 




THE STORY OF THE TIGER. 



My first direct knowledge of the jungle tiger was obtained in a manner 
startling in the extreme to both the beast and myself. I was out but a short 
distance from our camp near Calcutta when I noticed a band of monkeys in the 
distance. They were perched in the tops of some trees and were chattering 
incessantly. I approached them rather incautiously, desiring tO' acquaint 
myself with the cause of the commotion. When under the nearest tree I 
chanced to look at the ground just ahead, where I saw crouched a tiger of 
immense size. The surprise was mutual and for a moment each of us hesitated, 
neither seeming prepared for the meeting. Fortunately, I was standing beside 
the trunk of the tree with low hanging branches, and I swung up among them 
before the tiger had fully grasped the situation. I remained in the tree for a 
half day, at the end of which time a party came out from the camp in search 
of me. The tiger was still on guard, and paid the penalty with his life. 

Whether the lion or the tiger is the more powerful animal, is a question 
which has given rise to much discussion, but the opinion of those most com- 
petent to decide is in favor of the superiority in this respect of the latter. 
The absence of the m.ane, which forms such a striking feature in the male lion, 



90 THE STORY OF THE TIGER. 






renders, however, the appearance of the tiger decidedly less imposing, and 
hence the secona position in the series is commonly assigned to this "cat." In 
spite O'f the difference in coloration, the lion and the tiger are very closely allied 
animals, both having a circular aperture for the pupil of the eye, and there 
is also a similarity in the bones which support the tongue. 

The usual manner of measuring a tiger is tO' follow the curves of the body, 
it appears that all the largest tigers on record have been measured in this man- 
ner. Full-grown tigers thus measured vary from 9 tO' 10 feet in length; and 
tigresses from 8 to 9 feet. Unusually fine specimens will, however, reach, or 
even slightly exceed, a length oi 12 feet; 12 feet 2 inches being apparently the 
maximum dimensions ascertained with any approach to accuracy. There is 
still need of additional information as to the maximum weight attained by 
tigers. Some unusually large tigers, which fell to my rifle, must have weighed 
from 450 to 500 pounds. The Maharaja of Kuch-Behar has killed tigers 
which are stated to have varied from 481 to 540 pounds. The weight of 
a tiger depends, of course, largely upon the condition of the animal at the 
time of its death; and if a specimen under 10 feet in length will turn the 
scale at over 500 pounds, it may be taken as certain that those of 11 or 12 
feet in equally good condition must reach considerably heavier weights. 

At the same time that it is the most beautiful, the tiger is certainly one of 
the most ferocious of quadrupeds. Indeed, so sanguinary is its disposition, 
that there is nO' animal, however strong and powerful, it will not venture to 
attack. Such furious combats have taken place between the lion and tiger, that 
in some instances both animals have been known to perish, rather than give 
up the contest. 

It commits the most lamentable ravages among flocks and herds in the 
countries where it resides; and neither the sight nor the opposition of man 
has any power to make it desist. When undisturbed in seizing an animal, it 
plunges its head into the victim's body, and drinks large draughts of blood,, 
the sources of which are generally exhausted before its thirst is appeased. 

The muscular strength of the tiger is excessively great. A peasant in the 
East Indies had a buffalo fallen intO' a quagmire ; and while he went toi call 
for assistance, an immense tiger came and drew out the animal, on which the 
united efforts of several men had been of nO' avail. When the people returned, 
the first object they beheld was the tiger, with the buffalo' thrown over its 
shoulder, carrying it away, with the feet upwards, towards its den. As soon, 
however, as it saw the men it let fall the prey, and instantly fled to the WOOds ; 
but it had previously killed the buffalo and sucked its blood. 



THE STORY OF THE TIGER. 



91 



The method of the tiger's seizing its prey is by conceahng itself from 
view and springing upon it with a horrible roar. Its cry, in the act of spring- 
ing on its victim, is hideous beyond expression. Like the lion, if it misses the 
object, it walks away without repeating the attempt. When it can securely 
attack mankind, it prefers them to any other prey; but seldom makes an open 
attack upon any creature that is capable of resistance. 

Sometimes it is easily scared. A company, seated under the shade 
of some trees, near the banks of a river in Bengal, were alarmed by the unex- 




ROYAL BENGAL TIGER AND ITS PREY. 



pected sight of a tiger, preparing for its fatal spring; when a lady, with 
almost unexampled presence of mind, unfurled a large umbrella in the ani- 
mal's face. This so confounded the tiger that it gave the party an oppor- 
tunity to escape. 

Of late years tiger-hunting has become less dangerous, principally on 
account of the innate fear that all wild beasts seem to have of the power of 
firearms. When mankind first waged war against the tigers, they did not heed 
the firearms, but experience has taught them a fear of those terrible weapons, 



92 THE STORY OF THE TIGER. 

which appears to have been communicated to their posterity, just as the puppy 
of a retriever dog will plunge into the water and fetch a stick without being 
taught. 

Tigers are usually taken by the natives in pitfalls, at the bottom of which 
is planted a bamboo stake, the top of which is sharpened intO' a point. The 
animal falls on the point, and is impaled. 

The general notion that tigers cannot be tamed is erroneous. They can 
be tamed as easily as the lion; but great caution must be used with all wild 
animals, as in a moment of irritation their savage nature breaks out, and the 
consequences have more than once proved fatal. 

The coloring of the tiger is a good instance of the manner in which animals 
are protected by the similarity of their external appearance to the particular 
locality in which they reside. The stripes on the tiger's skin so exactly assim- 
ilate with the long jungle grass, among which it lives, that it is impossible for 
unpracticed eyes tO' discern the animal. 

The attachment of animals to man is one of the most pleasing and attractive 
traits in their character. It is not confined to domestic ones alone, but extends 
to the most ferocious, as the lion and tiger; and to the most suspicious, as the 
fox and the marten. A rat has been known tO' accompany its master in his 
walks, to fly to him for safety at the least alarm, and to shun the presence of 
strangers. Instances of strong attachment are frequently met with in birds. 

A tigress showed a fidelity of attachment in a way that would scarcely be • 
expected in that fierce creature. She was brought from India in a v€ssei 
where she was allowed to run about. Here she became quite friendly to all, and 
attached to her keeper. 

On her arrival in London she was turned over to other parties, and in con- 
finement became sulky and savage, and was at last placed in a menagerie. Her 
old keeper one day visiting the place, asked permission to enter her den. Those 
in charge refused, and it was not till he exercised the most urgent entreaty 
that he obtained his wish, all present looking upon him as a doomed man. 

No sooner, however, did the tigress recognize her old kind friend, than 
she fawned upon him, licked and caressed him, exhibiting the most extravagant 
signs of pleasure, and after he left she whined and cried for hours. 

The most highly esteemed amusement in many parts of India is the contest 
of savage and determined tigers. They are suitably prepared for the encounter 
by being kept on short commons for some days before that appointed to test 
their strength, and no one whO' has not been an eye-witness of this barbarous 
pursuit can imagine the breathless interest and expectation with which the 



i 



THE STORY OF THE TIGER. 



93 



assembled concourse await the entrance of the ferocious combatants upon the 
arena. On one occasion pubhc interest had been wrought up to the highest 
pitch by numerous accounts of the warlike achievements and almost unrivaled 
strength of the tigers who were that day to be opposed to one another in the 
great arena. The one, a monster who had been the victor in several engage- 
ments already, had long been a popular favorite on account of his prowess ; the 
other had been recently captured among the jungles, and, on account of his 



.fi^ ... \ 




WOUNDED TIGER PREPARING TO SPRING. 

(Snapshot taken in the jungle from the back of an elephant.) 

enormous size and savage ferocity, was esteemed a worthy adversary for the 
former animal. 

For a few moments after being admitted to the arena the two gigantic 
beasts observed one another with gleaming eyeballs and open mouths; then 
Kagra, the popular favorite, owing to his previous victories, began tO' steal 
with cat-like motion and constantly agitated tail toward his adversary, who 
stood regarding him, evidently prepared for a spring. At length, with a 



94 THE STORY 'OF THE TIGER. 

sudden leap, Kagra was upon his enemy, and was received with such a hearty 
grip that it was difficult to tell which was the assailant and which the defendant. 
Their huge tails lashed the air with mad fury; their enormous jaws seemed 
literally buried in each other's throats, while the deep and formidable claws 
of each were plunged furiously Into the neck of the other. 

Thus they gradually rose to an upright position, the whole weight of the 
body resting upon the hind legs, still straining and swaying one another 
backwards and forwards with almost incredible force and energy, in the mortal 
embrace. Their height must have exceeded six feet as they stood thus erect 
and ponderous, their distended eyes literally darting fire, and bloody foam 
quivering on their lips. 

Gradually their furious struggles became less and less ; and it was apparent 
that all their vital energies were hazarded on this last decisive grapple. Life 
and death were upon its issue, and it must now depend upon strength alone as 
to which would be thrown undermost, and thus compelled tO' abandon his 
hold. 

The silence all around the arena, and in the galleries, was unbroken and 
oppressive. The audience seemed fearful even tO' draw a breath, and every 
eye was riveted upon the two ferocious beasts as they glared on one another 
in that terrible embrace. You might have heard the fall of a pin through 
the intense, painful hush of that moment of suspense. It was not long pro- 
tracted, however. Kagra, more accustomed than his adversary to these con- 
tests, threw him over by a lightning movement, as unexpected as sudden, and 
the jungle tiger rolled over on its back in the arena, still clasped in the iron 
hug of Kagra. 

An irrepressible murmur passed through the assemblage — a triumphant 
shout on the part of Kagra's backers was heard — but it was only for an instant. 
The jungle tiger struck his sharp claws intO' the eyes of Kagra, tearing one 
from its socket; and with an unearthly yell the wounded monster let go his 
hold, and strove to retreat from the contest. This, however, was not accord- 
ing to the jungle tiger's plans. He clung tightly and immovably to the quiver- 
ing throat of his antagonist, and was dragged a few steps along the inclosure 
by the struggles of Kagra; then, suddenly springing from the ground, he 
threw himself on his adversary, tearing, biting, and rending him with savage 
triumph. When the battle was over, the king ordered his attendants to drive 
the jungle tiger to his cage with their white-hot irons. Popular favor was 
wholly with the victor and Kagra went tO' his cage without sympathy or alle- 
viation for his wounds. He died the next day. 



THE STORY OF THE TIGER. 



% 



Wherever large tracts of forest and grass jungle remain in India, there 
tigers are to be found in more or less abundance. In the fever-stricken 
swamps and islands forming the so-called sandarbans of Lower Bengal, tigers 
are especially common ; as they also are in the forests of Burma and Assam. 
Formerly they were to be met with in the grassy islands of the Bramaputra, 
but the navigation of that river by steamers has led to a large reduction in their 
numbers. In the forests flanking the easterly Himalaya, and known as the 
Terai, tigers still abound. 

In parts of Java and Sumatra tigers absolutely swarm ; and a firm of 




TIGER ANGRILY WATCHING THE APPROACH' OF A FOE. 



Dutch merchants at Padang, Sumatra, stated that the arrivals of coffee from 
the interior were much below the usual average, on account of the number 
of tigers infesting the route ; upwards of fifty men having been killed by them 
while engaged in bringing the coflfee down country. 

In spite of its predilection for water, the tiger can, however, at a pinch 
endure thirst for a considerable period, even in the hottest \veather. As an 
illustration of this I may refer to an instance which recently took place, 
where two tigers were surrounded by nets in a small patch of jungle. The 
weather was hot; the circle in which they were enclosed was only seventy 



9G THE STORY OF THE TIGER. 

yards in diameter, and the heat of the fires kept up day and night all round 
was considerable. Still they existed without a drop of water for ten days, 
suffering from serious wounds the meantime. A tiger can go much longer 
than this without food without serious inconvenience. Like lions, tigers are 
bad climbers, ascending trees but rarely, and being quite incapable of ascending 
a vertical stem, nO' matter what may be its dimensions. But, when aided by a 
sloping stem, or by a fork at some distance from the ground into which they 
can spring and thence obtain a fresh start, tigers will occasionally attack 
sportsmen who are waiting for them in trees. It is also stated that, when 
caught by inundations, tigers will endeavor to escape by climbing. Stems of 
trees, especially certain particular favorites, are in tiger-haunted districts 
marked by the vertical scorings in the bark made by the claws of tigers ; these 
markings not unfrequently extending to a height of at least ten feet. 

The idea that tigers are m the general habit of springing appears tO' be a 
popular delusion; and it is but rarely that they move their hind-legs from 
the ground, except when they have occasion tO' clear a fence or other obstacle. 
When so inclined, they are undoubtedly able to spring tO' a considerable 
height; and an instance is on record of a tiger having, at a single spring, 
pulled a native from a tree, at a distance of eighteen feet from the ground. 
The tiger's usual attack is a rush, accompanied by a series of short, deep 
growls or roars, in which he evidently thinks he will do much by intimidation ; 
when he charges home he rises on the hind-feet, seizes with the teeth and claws, 
and endeavors and often succeeds in pulling down the object seized. The 
truth is that the tiger seldom attacks to actually kill, unless it is driven, or 
wounded in a hunt. It will frequently charge with a short roar if suddenly 
disturbed, but it does not intend to charge home, and a shout from a native 
will be sufficient to turn it aside; it will then dash forward and disappear, 
probably as glad to lose sight of the man as he is at his escape from danger. 

Formerly, before European sportsmen armed with rifles had access to most 
parts of the country by means of railways, whole districts in India were either 
depopulated or deserted owing to the ravages of man-eaters; and the sites of 
hamlets abandoned from this cause are still visible in the jungles. Not infre- 
quently, however, the cunning and caution of the man-eater baffles, at least for 
a time, all the efforts of the European sportsman to encompass its destruction ; 
while there are districts where one of these pests may continue its depredations 
for a long period without coming under the notice of Europeans. The destruc- 
tion of human life by tigers, most of which are probably habitual man-eaters, 
is, indeed, still deplorably large, especially in the more thinly-populated dis- 



THE STORY OF THE TIGER. 



97 



tricts. According tO' the Government returns, it appears that within a period 
of six years no less than 4,218 natives fell victims to tigers, while in the 
Central Provinces alone 285 were killed during the years 1898 and 1899. In 
regard to the ravages committed by individual man-eaters, one tiger in 1897, 
1898, 1899, killed respectively twenty-seven, thirty-four and forty-seven people. 
I have known it to attack a party, and kill four or five at a time. Once it killed 
a father, mother and three children ; and the week before it was shot it killed 
seven people. It wandered over a tract of twenty miles, never remaining in 
the same spot two consecutive days, and was at last killed by a bullet from a 




PHOTOGRAPH OF YOUNG TIGERS SHOT BY MR. SEYMOUR. 



spring-gun when returning to feed on the body of one of its victims. The 
account of the depredations of another man-eater, which infested the neigh- 
borhood of a station in the Eastern Himalaya, states that the animal "prowled 
about within a circle, say of twenty miles, and that it killed on an average about 
eighty men per annum." 

It has been considered that man-eating tigers, which generally belong to the 
female sex, were invariably animals unable to procure other food, from the 
effects of age. Although this is true in a very large number of instances, it 



98 THE STORY OP THE TIGER. 

appears that tigers may take to man-eating from a variety of other causes. 
Thus either wounds, excessive fat, or the fact of a tigress having had to 
bring up a family of cubs where food is scarce, may be the original cause of 
the adoption of this mode of life. All man-eaters were invariably at first cattle- 
stealers, which gradually became accustomed to the sight and presence of man, 
and thus lost their instinctive fear of the human race. When once a tiger has 
taken to man-eating, and has discovered how easily its victims are killed, it 
appears that it afterwards hunts the same kind of prey, although only 
some individuals confine themselves to this kind of food. Those tigers which 
are entirely or mainly man-eaters inflict fearful havoc on the unfortunate 
natives among whom they have taken up their quarters; an average native 
of India forming by no means a hearty meal for a tiger. 

All who have had to do with them are unanimous as to the extreme wari- 
ness and caution of man-eaters, which from this cause are the most difficult 
to kill of all tigers. The slightest rustle or whisper on the part of the pursuer 
is sufficient to put the man-eater on its guard; and it is marvelous how the 
animal is able to distinguish between an armed Europeann and an unarmed 
native. 

The general method of seizing its prey is for the tiger to slink up under 
cover of bushes or long grass, ahead of the cattle in the direction they are 
feeding, and to make a rush at the first cow or bullock that comes within five 
or six yards. The tiger does not spring upon his prey in the manner usually 
represented. Clutching the bullock's fore-quarters with his paws, one being 
generally over the shoulder, he seizes the throat in his jaws from underneath, 
and turns it upwards and over, sometimes springing to the far side in doing 
so, to throw the bullock over, and give the wrench which dislocates its neck. 
This is frequently done sO' quickly that the tiger, if timid, is in retreat again 
almost before the herdsman can turn round. Bold animals often kill several 
head, unsophisticated cattle occasionally standing and staring at the tiger in 
stupid astonishment; but herds that are accustomed to these raids only enter 
the jungle with extreme unwillingness. Occasionally the tiger seizes his prey 
by the nape of the neck ; the blow of his paw will, however, stun even a large 
animal ; and it is quite possible that cattle may be killed in this manner. Tigers 
will on rare occasions kill buffalo and gaur, and similar prey, by hamstringing 
them, probably by a blow with the claws. Such hamstrung animals are occa- 
sionally met with, but the exact method in which it is accomplished remains 
unknown. 

It is probable that a cattle-killing tiger destroyed a victim about every 



THE STOkV OF THE TICER. 



9d 



fifth day ; three days being- employed in feasting on the carcass and resting in 
the intervals, while during the other twO' food was not specially sought. This, 
when we remember the number of these animals in certain parts of India, will 
give some idea of the losses they occasion. According to a return issued by 
the Government, it appears that in the Madras Presidency, during the quarter 
ending 31st December, 1900, the number of animals killed by tigers and 
leopards included 656 bullocks, 752 cows, 236 calves, 135 buffaloes, 105 sheep 
and 103 goats. In the returns for all India for one year, during which 1,835 
cattle were killed, the total loss was set down at a little short of 60,000 head. 




A FAMILY OF SIBERIAN TIGERS. 



of which 20,000 were assigned to tigers, and an equal number to leopards. 
Although the man-eating tiger is much more dreaded, the cattle-lifting tiger 
is regarded with supreme indifference by the herdsmen of the districts it infests. 
It is only of late years that the existence of tigers in Siberia has been 
known. Heretofore it was supposed to be purely a tropical animal, but it 
is now found in snowy fields and forests and the colds plateaus of Asia. It 
is distributed over China to the northward of Amur territory and Eastern 
Siberia, and in Asia over the Altai to Northern Persia and Lake Aral. The 
most powerful species is the East Siberian tiger, rivaling the Royal Bengal 



loo 



The story of the tiCEr. 



tiger in beauty of form. In size and weight the animal is not surpassed by 
the latter, only the coloration is less brilliant. When the Siberian tiger has 
taken on its winter fur, in which one might bury the hand, and the tail 
appears so thick that it cannot be spanned by both hands, it is looked upon 
with feelings of astonishment and admiration by every hunter who has ever 
beheld this cat-like giant. As the long grass of the jungle harmonizes with 
the coat of the Bengal tiger and affords him a hiding place from hunters, 



ilhnilllilllJillllliilllllPM^^^^ 




A MAN-EATING TIGER. 



SO do the surroundings of the Siberian tiger make it difficult to see the animal 
at any great distance. 

The home of the Siberian tiger is usually in a cave of dull gray rocks, 
which match the ground color of its coat. It has been less disturbed by 
hunters than its Indian relative, and for that reason is much bolder in the 
presence of man than the jungle tiger. 




THE STORY OF THE DEER. 



I never could understand how anyone could derive pleasure from hunting- 
deer for the mere sport of shooting them. They are such gentle, timid crea- 
tures, so pleasing to the eye and so easily domesticated that it has always 
seemed brutal toi me toi see them shot down in mere wantonness. 

To kill them for food, when necessary, is, of course, an entirely different 
matter. Venison is among the finest flavored meats I have ever eaten. Thanks 
to increasing wisdom and humanity the game laws of many countries now pro- 
tect these animals against hunters who slay them out of wantonness or merely 
for their hides and antlers. 

It is these antlers that distinguish the deer family from all others. The cow, 
antelope, gazelle, sheep and other species have horns, but none has a branching 
into tines of this horny growth. 

In addition tO' being generally more or less branched, the most characteristic 
feature of an antler when fully developed is that its outer surface is rugged and 
devoid of any covering of skin or horn. In fact, for all practical purposes, an 
antler may be regarded as a mass of dead bone borne for a certain period by a 
living animal. Except occasionally, as an individul peculiarity, antlers are shed 
once every year, and, save in the reindeer, are present only in the male sex. 

lOl 



102 



THE STORY OF THE DEER. 



Antlers of the common red deer have been known to weigh nearly lOO 
pounds, while those of the Irish deer exceed that figure. 

The red deer is the largest of our deer. It bears different names according 
to the size of its horns, which increase year by year. All the male deer have 
horns, which they shed every year, and renew again. The process of renewal 
is most interesting. A skin, filled with arteries, covers the projections on 
which the horns rest. This skin, called the "velvet," is engaged in continually 
depositing bone on the footstalks, which rapidly increase in size. As the bud- 
ding horns increase the velvet increases also, and the course of the arteries is 



t 


, 


j 


v^ 








i 






im^j^ 


■1 


1 


^^^^^^^^b^fc^^ 


m 



FATAL DUEL BETWEEN RED DEER STAGS. 



marked on the horn by long furrows, which are never obliterated. When the 
horn has reached its full growth it can not be at once used, as the velvet is 
very tender, and would bleed profusely if wounded. The velvet cannot be 
suddenly removed, as the blood that formed the arteries would rush to the brain 
and destroy the animal. A ring of bone forms round the root of each horn, 
leaving passages through which the arteries pass. By degrees, these passages 
become narrow, and finally close entirely, thus gradually shutting off the 
blood. The velvet, being deprived of its nourishment, dies and is peeled off by 
the deer, by rubbing against a tree, leaving the white hard horn beneath. 



THE STORY OF THE DEER. 



103 



A fine specimen of the red deer will stand fully four feet at the shoulder. 
The hair on the throat forms a long fringe, most developed in the pairing- 
season. During summer the general color is a bright reddish brown, the 
head and legs being somewhat grayer, the throat pale gray, and the patch 
on the buttocks yellowish white. In winter, when the fur becomes longer and 




A HART OF THE BLACK FOREST. 



softer, the color tends to a brownish gray. Wild stags are occasioinally found 
white. 

The red deer is found throughout the temperate regions of Europe and 
Asia. They are shy and wary and can detect an enemy at a great distance. 

In the pairing season bloody and desperate conflicts take place between the 
stags. The conflict generally continues for a considerable time, and nothing 
can be more entertaining than to witness, as I have often done, the varied 



104 



THE STORY OF THE DEER. 



success and address of the combatants. It is a sort of wild joust, in the pres- 
ence of the dames who, as of old, bestow their favors on the most vahant. 
In soHtary encounters, there being no hinds to take the alarm, the harts are so 
occupied and possessed with such fury that they may be occasionally approached 
in a manner that it would be vain tO' attempt at any other time. I know of one 
instance where the antlers of two stags fighting in this manner became so 




A YOUNG STAG WITH HIS FIRST ANTLERS. 



firmly interlocked that the victor was unable to disengage himself from, his 
dead antagonist, and was thus held captive until killed by a forester. 

THE VIRGINIAN DEER. 

The main group of American deer is represented by the well-known Vir- 
ginian deer, found in the northern half of the American continent. The varia- 
tions which occur in the antlers of the Virginian deer are only paralleled by 



i 



THE STORY OF THE DEER. 



105 



those found in the reindeer. The tail is long. The summer coat of the Vir- 
ginian deer is a bright bay, from which it derives its common local title of red 
deer, but in winter the coat becomes of a grayer tinge. At all seasons of the 
year the throat, a ring above the muzzle, a spot above and below the eye, por- 
tions of the inside of the ear, the inner surfaces of the limbs and the under- 
parts are, however, white. The upper surface of the tail is dark brown, and 
even in winter there is a more or less reddish tinge throughout the coat. In 
build this deer is the most elegant and graceful of all its compatriots. Its varia- 
tion in size is so great that it would be useless to give any measurements. 




VIRGINIAN DEER IN A POOL. 



although it may be mentioned that unusually fine bucks are said to weigh as 
much as 200 pounds. 

In the Adirondack region this deer frequents the mountain sides as well as 
the lower valleys and rivers. It feeds upon grasses, marsh and aquatic plants, 
the leaves of certain trees and shrubs, blueberries, blackberries and the nutri- 
tious beech nut. 

Although shy and timid in the extreme, and at first retreating rapidly before 
the advance of cultivation, these deer soon regain confidence, and come back to 
their ancient haunts. Their speed is g^reat^ and they are excellent and rapid 



106 



THE STORY OF THE DEER. 



swimmers, even young fawns while still in the spotted coat taking readily to 
the water. During long-continued deep snow these deer frequently collect 
together in parties, sometimes of considerable size, and form "yards," 
The legitimate method of hunting them is by stalking. 




VIRGINIAN DEER, SWIMMING. 



THE MULE-DEER. 



The mule-deer of Western America is so called on account of the enormous 
size of its ears. 

In height the mule-deer is fully equal to the Virginian deer, but it is a more 
stoutly built and much less graceful animal, with proportionately shorter limbs, 



THE STORY OF THE DEER. 



107 



while the ears are nearly double the size of those of the latter. The tail is 
short, and quite unlike that of any other deer, being- round, naked below, and 
covered above with short white hairs, terminating in a long brush of black ones. 
In summer the coat of the mule-deer is very thin and sparse, and generally of a 
reddish color, wnih. a large white patch on the buttocks; but in winter the gen- 
, era] color is steel-gray, the individual hairs being tipped with black. There is 
j much more white on the face than in the Virginian deer. In a variety from 




MULE-DEER — BUCK AND DOE. 



California the color is more decidedly red, and there is a black line running 
I along the middle of the upper surface of the tail. 

The mule-deer is found throughout the greater part of the Missouri River 
district, and thence westward on the plains, in the Rocky Mountains, and in the 
Sierra Nevada. It is an inhabitant of rough, broken country, and on the plains 
is usually only tO' be found about high buttes, in the bad-lands, or where the 



108 



THE STORY OF THE DEER. 



country is diversified with rocky ridges, dotted here and there with scattered 
pines OT junii>ers. Its favorite resorts are the coulees, gulches, and caiions 
which so often break up the high table-lands of the central plateau of the con- 
tinent ; but it is as often to be found among the green valleys high up on the 
mountain-sides, or, in summer, among the k>w trees that grow just below the 
snow-line. It is to such localities as the last-named that the bucks resort during 
the summer when they are growing their antlers, and when their thin coat of 
hair affords them little or no protection against the flies. 







FAWN OF THE VIRGINIAN DEER. 



Instead of running in the even manner of the Virginian deer, mule-deer 
progr-ess by a series of bounds, all their feet leaving the groimd at once. For 
a short distance their pace is rapid, but it soon slackens. As in the case of the 
Virginian deer, the number of fawns produced at a birth is nearly always two. 

The mule-dear is the favorite "game" of the Rocky Mountain hunter, 
and although game laws have been passed for their protection they are 
rapidly becoming less in number every year. 



»- 



THn STORY OF THE DEM. 



109 



" THE FALLOW DEER. 

The visitor tO' England notices the deer which run in the large wooded parks 
as do our cattle in the fields of the American farmer. These are the Fallow 
deer. There it is both ornamental and prized for its meat called venison, which 
is fat and juicy. It has beautiful wide spreading horns. The buck or male 
deer is about three feet high at the shoulder. The head is short and broad, the 




THE FALLOW DEER. 



tail between seven and eight inches long. The color of the animal, both buck 
and doe, is a rich yellowish-brown in summer; sometimes spotted with white. 
In winter the tints are more somber and grayish. 

There is, however, a dark brown variety in which the spots are scarcely 
distinguishable, or wantmg, and specimens may be seen exhibiting every 



no THE STORY OF THB DEM. 

gradation In color from pure white nearly to black. The hair is compara- 
tively short and fine, and there is no mane on the neck and throat. 

The fallow deer is a native of Northern Africa and the countries border- 
ing the Mediterranean, and in a wild state is still abundant in Sardinia, 
Spain, and some of the islands of the Grecian Archipelago, From these 
countries it has been introduced into Central Europe, where it flourishes 
well, although needing some protection during the winter in the more north- 
erly regions. At what period this introduction took place is, however, quite 
uncertain, although in Britain it was evidently many centuries ago. 

Bell observes that "fallow deer are gregarious to a great extent, associat- 
ing in large herds, the bucks apart from the does, except in the pairing- 
season. Most persons must be familiar with their boldness and the con- 
fident manner in which they will approach mankind, where they are well 
accustomed to his presence. , . . Like the other species, the fallow 
deer feeds on herbage. It has been noted that it is especially fond of horse- 
chestnuts, wdiiich the bucks knock down from the branches with their antlers, 
and this tree is consequently frequently planted in deer-parks. The young 
male exhibits the first signs of his antlers in his second year, when they make 
their appearance as simple snags; the animal being then called a pricket. 
In the fifth year the antlers attain their full development, although some 
additional small points may be added in the following season." 

It has been stated that the dark variety of the fallow deer was introduced 
from Norway by James the First, on account of its hardy constitution. 
This, however, has been proved to be incorrect. This breed existed in 
Windsor Park as far back as the year 1465. The fallow deer of Windsor 
Park include both the spotted and the brown breeds; but in Epping Forest 
only the latter occur. 

Locally they are referred to as "the old forest breed," and are compara- 
tively small in size, of a uniformly dark brown color, and with very attenu- 
ated antlers — peculiarities which have no doubt been brought about by 
continued isolation, without the admixture of any fresh stock for many 
generations. It is remarkable that no individuals of the true fallow color 
(i. e., yellow dun) or spotted with white are ever seen in this forest. This in 
some measure proves the antiquity of the stock, which would otherwise 
show in their progeny a reversion to one or other of these varieties, which 
elsewhere are so common. The keepers assert that not only are there no 
spotted or fallow varieties here, but that they have never observed any 
spotted fawns, the latter being dark like their parents. If this observation 



THE STORY OP THE DEER. 



Ill 



be correct, it is very remarkable; for it is generally supposed that the fawns 
of all fallow deer are spotted at birth, and that, except in the permanently 
spotted variety, the spots disappear with age. The venison of the fallow 
deer is generally considered superior to that of the red deer. 

THE BLACK-TAIL DEER. 

By the hunters in Colorado the mule-deer is commonly spoken of as the 
black-tail, although that name properly belongs tO' a species confined tO' the 





^^ 




BLACK-TAIL DOE SWIMMING A RIVER. 



mountain-ranges bordering the Pacific in the neighborhood of the Columbia 
River, and unknown to the eastward of the Sierra Nevada. This deer is 
rather smaller than the mule-deer, with relatively smaller ears, but nearly simi- 
lar antlers. The comparatively short round tail is black throughout, except for 
a short strip of about one-fourth the circumference running along the under 
surface. The general color in winter is tawny gray with white on the under- 
parts and throat. The face is gray, and the legs a dark cinnamon color. In 
summer the color changes to bay. 



lis THE STORY OP THE DEER. 

THE MUSK DEER. 

In the Himalaya Mountains is found the musk deer, a clumsily built animal 
standing about 20 inches at the shoulder, with peculiarly coarse, brittle, and 
rather long hair, somewhat resembling pith. This deer has no antlers. Ail 
the limbs are of considerable length, and the hinder pair are longer than the 
front ones. The ears are very large and the tail is short, terminating in the 
male in a tuft, but hairy throughout in the female. The male has a peculiar 
sac-like gland in the skin of the abdomen, which yields the musk of commerce. 
The general color of the fur is a rich dark brown, more or less speckled and 
mottled with gray and tawny ; the individual hairs having black tips, beneath 
which is a ring of white, while for three-quarters of their length they are 
white at the base. The chin, the inner borders of the ears and the inside of 
the thighs, and not unfrequently a spot on each side of the throat, are whitish, 
while the under-parts and the inner surfaces of the limbs are paler than the 
body. Some individuals are, however, considerably paler than ordinary, while 
in others there is a more or less marked yellowish tint ; and others, again, are 
blacker. The young are spotted. 

The musk-deer utter a kind of hiss when alarmed, and when captured they 
give vent to a series of screams ; with these exceptions they appear to be 
silent, even in the pairing-season. 

THE PAMPAS DEER. 

The American deer differ entirely from those of Asia and Europe in the 
character of their antlers, which are either in the form of simple spikes, like 
the little red brocket of South America, or divided in a fork-like manner, like 
the mule deer of the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevadas. 

The most important group in South America is the Pampas deer, which 
stands about two and one-half feet at the shoulder. Its range extends from 
Paraguay and Uruguay through Argentina into Northern Patagonia. The 
hair is thick, coarse and glossy; its color on the upper parts being light reddish 
brown. The lower parts of the flanks, as well as the chin, throat, chest and 
a stripe on the limbs, are dusky; while the under parts, inner sides of the 
limbs, under side and tip of the tail, and insides of the ears are white. 

If a person crawling close along the ground slowly advances towards a 
herd the deer frequently, out of curiosity, approach to reconnoitre him. 

The male of the Pampas deer possesses an unpleasant and penetrating efflu- 



TH£ STORY OF THE DEER. 



113 



vium, which, as I can personally attest, can be detected at a distance of several 
miles. During- the day these deer generally lie concealed among the tallpam- 
pas grass, coming out to feed at sunset, and continuing throughout the night. 
Their speed is very great, and it is only by the very best horses they can be 
ridden down, while even then, if they have any considerable start, they are 
pretty sure to escape. The fawns are born in the winter and spring, and it 
does not appear that there is ever more than one at a birth. Both parents aid 




PAMPAS DEER OF SOUTH AMERICA. 



in protecting their young, and the doe is especially clever in aiding the escape 
01 her fawn. When the doe with fawn is approached by a horseman, even 
when accompanied by dogs, she stands perfectly motionless, gazing fixedly 
at the enemy, the fawn motionless at her side; and suddenly, as if at a pre- 
concerted signal, the fawn rushes directly away from her at its utmost speed ; 
^and going to a distance of six hundred to^ a thousand yards conceals itself in a 



114 THE STORY OF THE DEER. 

hollow in the ground, or among the long grass, lying down very close with 
neck stretched out horizontally, and will thus remain until sought by the dam. 
When very young, if found in its hiding-place, it will allow itself to be taken, 
making no further effort to escape. After the fawn has run away, the doe 
still maintains her statuesque attitude, as if resolved to await the onset, and 
only when the dogs are close to her side she also rushes away, but invariably 
in a direction as nearly opposite tO' that taken by the fawn as possible. At first 
she runs slowly, with a limping gait, and frequently pausing, as if to entice 
her enemies on ; but as they begin to press her more closely, her speed increases, 
becoming greater the further she succeeds in leading them, from the starting- 
point. The alarm-cry of the Pampas deer is a low, whistling bark, but this is 
never uttered when the doe has a fawn by her side. 

DEER OF THE PHILIPPINES. 

Very different from all the other members of the deer family is Prince 
Alfred's deer from the Philippines, which has at all ages and all seasons a 
spotted coat. This deer stands about 2^ feet at the withers ; and its color is a 
dark chocolate-brown, with about six longitudinal rows of somewhat indis- 
tinctly-marked yellowish spots. The antlers are comparatively short, and 
have the front tine of the terminal fork directed inwardly, while the outer sur- 
faces of the ears are nearly devoid of hairs. It is common in the Island of. 
Luzon. 

The dam makes her offspring lie down by a pressure of her nose ; and it will 
never stir or lift up its head the whole of the day, unless you come right upon 
it, as I have often done. It lies like a dog, with its nose to its tail. The hind, 
however, although she separates herself from the young fawn, does not lose 
sight of its welfare, but remains at a distance tO' windward, and goes to its 
succor in case of an attack. 

THE MEXICAN DEER. 

At first sight, the Mexican deer is easily mistaken for the mule deer 
on account of its enormously long ears. A more intimate acquaintance with 
the pretty animal shows that it is of a family by itself, and can readily be 
distinguished from the mule deer by its tail, which is long and flat, with 
a pointed end, similar to the Virginia deer. Its upper part is darker than 
in any other species — almost black. The Mexican variety is possessed of the 



THE STORY OF THE DEER. 



115 



white border-line beginning at the cleft of the short and broad hoofs and 
ascending, similar to the Central American and South American mazama 
deer. The most striking feature of the animal, however, is the entire form 
of its body and the color of its coat. The Mexican deer is not possessed of so 
fine a head or such a light and graceful build as the Virginia deer proper, with 
which it, however, agrees in the absence of the marked dark band of the 
chin. Its long, brown coat of hair, which is somewhat speckled on the body, 
has nothing in common with the general features which so admirably adorn 




A MEXICAN DEER. 



the Virginia deer. This peculiar coat, which does not alter with the seasons, 
is probably caused by the animal living in a mountainous country. 

THE BARKING DEER. 

One of the most interesting members of the deer family is the Indian 

Muntjac, known there as the barking deer, and in Hindustan as the kakar. 

This animal stands from 20 to 22 inches in height at the shoulder, and 



lie THE STORY OP THE DEER. 

has fur of a deep chestnut color, becoming darker on the back, and paler 
and less brilliant below; the chin and upper part of the throat, as well as 
the hinder portion of the under surface of the body, and the inner sides of 
the thighs and lower surface of the tail, being white. The antlers are gen- 
erally only 3 or 4 inches in length. 

The kakar is essentially a forest-dwelling deer, and appears to be 
restricted to hilly regions. Its range includes suitable districts throughout 
India, Ceylon and Burma, whence it extends through the Malay Peninsula 
to the islands of Sumatra, Java, Borneo and Hainan.. 

These deer are solitary creatures, usually found singly or in pairs; the 
name of barking deer being derived from their peculiar cry. 

Many visitor to the various hill stations of the Himalaya, who may never 
nave seen a kakar, must probably be well acquainted with its voice, which 
is wonderfully powerful for such a small animal. It is rather difficult 
to convey a correct idea of it by words, but it may perhaps be best described 
as a hoarse, resonant bark. The cry may frequently be heard in the morn- 
ings and evenings, and it is also often uttered when the deer is alarmed, 
Vvhen it hears any loud or unusual sound, or suspects the existence of any 
danger. Occasionally a kakar will continue to bark, at short intervals, for 
an hour at a time, and advantage may be taken of his betraying his where- 
abouts to stalk him. 

Kakar are adepts at making their way at speed through the most dense 
jungle, and run with their heads low and their hind-quarters elevated. When 
running, a peculiar rattling sound is produced by these animals, which is 
thought to originate in the mouth, although in what manner is still unknown. 
The bucks, when attacked by dogs, appear to use their tusks, which curve 
outwards in a peculiar manner, as their chief weapons of defence, and are 
able with them to inflict gashes of considerable depth. The venison of the 
kakar is considered superior to that of most of the Indian deer. 

I have stalked and shot kakar at various times, and have also had them 
driven out of cover; many may be found in this manner, but, unless one 
knows their usual runs, it is difficult to know where to post oneself. Like 
many other animals, the kakar objects to being driven, and will break back 
through the beaters in order to make his point. As they only give a chance 
of a snap-shot at short range, it is easier to kill them with a charge of shot 
than with a rifle bullet. 



II 




THE STORY OF THE 

MOUNTAIN LION. 



Many a young hunter in the Rocky Mountains has been startled out of a 
sound sleep by a wild, unearthly cry unlike any other sound of the forest. 

"What's that?" he would ask, listening to catch a repetition of the sound. 

"Go to sleep," replies the old hunter, who is his companion; "that's only a 
painter, — what most people call a mountain lion. They won't bother us; go 
to sleep." 

The moimtain lion is the largest representative of the cat family in Amer- 
ica. It is often called the panther, a word the old-time hunters corrupted into 
painter. Some works on natural history give it the name of cougar, but I. 
prefer the name given it by the Peruvians — Puma, which has been adopted by 
all American zoologists. 

In regard tO' the dimensions of the puma, it is stated that a male preserved 
in the museum at Washington has a total length (measured along the curves 
of the body) O'f 6 feet 7^ inches, of which 2 feet 2^- inches are occupied by the 
tail. A large male killed in Arizona measured 7 feet in total length, of which 
3 feet was occupied by the tail ; wliile a smaller male from the same locality 
had a total length of only 6 feet, of which the tail took up i foot i r inches. 
The largest individual of which the measurements can be regarded as authen- 

117 



118 



THE STORY OF THE MOUNTAIN LION. 



ticated was one killed in Texas in the year 1846, of which the total length 
was 8 feet 2 inches, the length of the tail being 3 feet i inch. A stuffed speci- 
men measures 9 feet i inch in total length. I believe that the length may in 
some instances be as much as 1 1 feet. 

In the parts of South America where cattle and horses are largely bred 
the puma is a terrible scourge. Indeed, so partial is it to horse-flesh, that in 




MOUNTAIN LION, TREED. 



some parts of Patagonia it is almost impossible to breed horses owing tO' the 
destruction of their colts. An instance is related of a puma springing on a colt 
among a drove in charge of a driver, and killing it so suddenly by dislocation 
of the neck that the unfortunate animal was actually dead before it fell to the 
ground. Tt further appears that in districts where pumas abound the semi- 
wild horses of South America can scarcely maintain their existence, owing to 
the slaughter of their colts. The puma does not, however, confine its ravages 



THE STORY OF THE MOUNTAIN LION. 



119 



on horses to the coUs, but will also attack and kill full-grown adults. The 
same is true for cattle, among which calves more generally, and cows rarely, 
fall victims to the puma's rapacity. Horned cattle are, however, less preferred 
than sheep, which, next to horse-flesh, forms its favorite food in pastoral dis- 
tricts. Indeed, so partial are pumas to mutton, that one has been known to 
make use of a calf-pen as a place of concealment from which to raid on a sheep- 
fold, passing through the former without offering to molest its tenants. 




A PERFECT SPECIMEN OF MOUNTAIN LION. 



The acme of daring on the part of the South American puma is, however, 
reached in the attacks which it makes upon the jaguar; and it appears that 
in North America the puma exhibits an equally marked hostility to the grizzly 
bear. In these respects the puma is undoubtedly entitled to be regarded as one 
of the boldest and fiercest of carnivores in proportion to its size. 

I once, and once only, killed a puma, and nothings will induce mc to^ kill 
another. On the occasion referred to a puma was found, which sat perfectly 
still with its back against a stone, not even moving when lassoed. I dis- 



120 THE STORY OF THE MOUNTAIN LION. 

mounted, and drawing my knife, advanced to kill it; still the puma made no 
attempt to free itself from the lasso, but it seemed to know what was coming, 
for it began to tremble, the tears ran from its eyes, and it whined in the most 
pitiful manner. I killed it as it sat there unresisting before me; but, after 
accomplishing the deed, felt that I had committed a murder. If this were an 
isolated case, it would not be of much importance, but scores of instances attest 
that this strange and inexplicable behavior is characteristic of the South Ameri- 
can puma, and that it almost invariably resigns itself to^ death in this unresist- 
ing manner. Very different is, however, the behavior of the puma when 
attacked by a hunter accompanied by dogs. At such times, the animal is 
roused to the fiercest paroxysms of rage ; and with hair erect and eyes flash- 
ing like balls of lurid fire, it rushes spitting and snarling on the dogs, utterly 
regardless of the presence of the hunter. So thoroughly indeed is the hunter 
ignored on such occasions, that he may actually belabor the puma on the head 
with a cudgel without drawing its attack upon himself; the animal receiving 
such blows without retaliation, and calmly w^aiting its opportunity of making 
a rush upon the dogs. 

Strange as it may at first sight appear, the pumas of the Adirondacks were 
wont to prey largely upon the porcupines which are found in abundance in 
that wilderness, and individuals were fretjuently killed with their mouths and 
lips, and sometimes other portions of their bodies, absolutely bristling with 
the quills of porcupines. Whether, however, these animals were selected as 
an article of food from choice, or whether the pumas were driven tO' devour 
them from inability to capture other prey, is uncertain. Be this as it may, 
porcupines are creatures which, from their sluggish habits and contempt of 
ordinary foes, may be easily captured, and would be sure to come in the way oi 
the puma during its nocturnal wanderings. The North American puma will 
eat vlmost anything, from deer down to rats, mice, fish and even snails. 




THE STORY OF THE CAMEL. 



The Arabs who inhabit desert regions would be helpless without the 
camel, which animal is to them as essential as the railroad is to the American 
citizen. Northern Africa and Central Asia embrace regions thousands of 
miles in extent, in which the camel is almost without exception the only 
large animal that can thrive on the scant supply of vegetation and water af- 
forded. Hot, burning sand under the torrid sun offers no impediment to 
the sure-footed "ship of the desert," as the camel is called. 

The camels of the Old World, and the llamas of the New, form a group of 
ruminating animals distinguished widely from the true ruminants, and which 
probably have had a totally distinct origin from more primitive even-toed 
members of this group. 

The camels of the Old World, of which there are two distinct species, are 
characterized by their great bodily size and bulk, and the presence of one or 
two large fatty humps on the back. The feet are broad, with the toes very 
imperfectly separated; and the tail is comparatively long, reaching nearly 
to the hocks, and furnished near the end with long hair forming a terminal 
tuft. Callous pads, on which the animal rests when lying down, and which 
are present at birth, are found on the chest, the elbows, the wrists (commonly 
called the knees), and the knees. The whole form of these animals is far from 
beautiful, while the head is ugly in the extreme; and this want of bodily 
beauty is accompanied by a viciousness of temper and general stupidity of 

121 



133 THE STORY OF THE CAMEL. 

disposition which can scarcely be paralleled elsewhere among domesticated 
animals. 

The best-known species is the true or Arabian camel, which is found both 
in Africa and Asia, and is characterized by its single hump. It is a long- 
limbed animal, with a comparatively short coat of hair, and soft feet, adapted 
for walking on yielding sandy soil, and standing from about six feet eight 
inches to seven feet in height. The head is comparatively short, with a long j 
and sloping muzzle, and convex forehead ; the eyes are large, with a soft expres- 
sion ; and the small rounded ears are placed far back on the sides of the head, j 
The contour of the back rises from the setting on of the neck to the loins, and | 
then falls rapidly away to the tail. The hump, when the animal is in good 
condition, stands upright, but it alters considerably in shape according to i 
age. The richer the food of the camel, the larger is its hump; while, when 
the food is poor and dry, the hump decreases in size; and accordingly in 
the rainy season this appendage attains its maximum development, while in 
the dry months it proportionately shrinks. In high-conditioned animals, the 
hump should form a regular pyramid, and occupy at least a quarter of the 
whole length, but when the animals are half-starved it almost disappears. 
The color of the hair is very variable, although a light sandy is the most 
common hue; there are, however, white, gray, brown, and even totally black 
camels; but those of the last-named color are held by the Arabs to be worth- 
less. 

The food of the camel in its natural state probably consisted entirely of 
branches and leaves of trees, and although grain is now largely given, a cer- 
tain amount of green-food is absolutely essential to the animal's health. No 
matter how thorny the boughs may be, they are quite acceptable to the 
camel; and it is perfectly marvellous how the animals manage to eat such 
food without injury to their mouths. On such a diet, or even on dates, 
camels will do well; but when compelled tO' work for days with little or no 
food, they soon break down, as was disastrously shown in the expedition to 
Khartum. 

The dromedary camel, called by the Arabs the "ship of the desert," be- 
cause it serves to transport over an ocean of sand the commodities which the 
nomadic tribes are forced to seek in distant countries, possesses all the requi- 
sites for performing long journeys. Robust, docile and patient, it pursues its 
course with a steady gait, browsing a little on its way, and not needing water 
for three or four days. The elevated position of its head and its long neck 
prevent its being suffocated by the sand of the desert ; its eyes, defended by 



THE STORY OF THE CAMEL. 



123 



thick eyelids, are half closed to avoid the glare of the sun; its fleshy feet are 
remarkably broad, so that they produce only a slight impression upon the 
yielding surface of the desert, over which other animals find great dif^culty 



in walking. 



Its pace, suited to that of man, renders it admirably adapted to the 
movement of caravans, in which there is always a crowd of persons on foot. 
Considered as a beast of burden, the dromedary camel is of unquestionable 




BACTRIAN CAMEL OF CENTRAL ASIA. 



value in countries where the heat of the sun and the scarcity of food and 
water preclude the possibility, not only of any other domestic animals bearing 
burdens, but even of their traveling with speed and safety for great distances. 
If the camel may be compared tO' a merchant vessel, the dromedary mer- 
its the title of a ship of war, since it is suited to the journeys and combats 
which lead the Arabs to traverse great distances over an ocean of sand. 



124 THE STORY OF THE CAMEL. 

Considered as a direct auxiliary of man in war, the dromedary may in 
many cases advantageously replace the horse. That the ancients employed it 
in war is a fact attested alike by monuments and writers. 

Owing to its many services, the pagan Arabs held the dromedary camel 
in such veneration that they consecrated to the gods three females, which 
were exempted from labor, and the cream of whose milk was used for liba- 
tions. 

The pack-saddle of the camel consists of a cushion of cloth filled with 
fibres of the date-tree. The ends of this cushion are doubled together and 
form the inner part of the pack-saddle. Above this are placed two props or 
wooden angles, fastened together by two sticks of equal size made fast by 
means of small cords. The hump of the camel comes between the two 
branches of the pack-saddle. Two large bags usually constitute the load of 
a camel. They are suspended to the crosspieces which fasten the reins. The 
camel carries only a simple bridle attached tO' a headstall ornamented with 
tassels, little shells or glass ornaments, and surmounted by a bouquet of cock 
or ostrich feathers. The leader of the file carries, beside, around his neck, a 
little bell, the monotonous sound of which encourages the band and distin- 
guishes it from other parties. 

The camel is made to kneel during the process of loading or unloading. 
In order to force him into this position they bear upon his halter, crying 
"Kha! kha!" The animal exhibits more or less docility, though he never 
obeys without giving vent to groans either pitiful or enraged, by which, as 
also by certain movements of the head, he shows that he sufifers, that he is 
sufficiently loaded, or that he dreads the fatigue of the journey. When they 
are traveling in caravans these cries, repeated every morning by each camel, 
indicate the moment of departure. The animal is retained in the position 
requisite for loading by doubling one of the front legs together and tying 
it at the knee, as it could still rise on three legs; refractory animals are fas- 
tened thus by two legs. The camel makes four sudden jerks in sitting, which 
he does by elevating his hind-quarters first, thus putting his rider or burden 
in an angle of forty degrees. Great caution, then, is requisite to prevent a 
dangerous fall. Only a quarter of an hour is required for loading, when the 
camel rises slowly and commences his journey. The driver, walking behind 
or at his side, urges him forward by crying, "Da! da!" When it becomes 
requisite to turn the animal to the right or left, it is done by pulling his tail 
in the opposite direction, and he obeys the movements as a vessel does the 
action of the rudder. 



THR STORY OF THE CAMEL 



1S5 



When a caravan is very numerous, people of the same country or tribe 
unite and form distinct groups, who journey separately at trifling distances 
from each other. The column is allowed to spread in proportion to the safety 
of the route, but is kept close and compact where the converse is the case. 




ARABIAN CAMELS. 



In most instances camels follow their guide or leader of the file, attached to 
one another by means of a rope fastened behind the pack-saddle of the one, 
to the headstall of the other. 

A caravan en route, or rather a tribe journeying, presents a most pic- 
turesque appearance. The camels carry the tents, cooking utensils, and pro- 



126 THE STORY OF THE CAMEL. 

visions. Others bear canopies of linen or brilliant colored stuffs, on light 
frameworks made of wood or palm branches. Under these dais repose the 
women, children, invalids, and oftentimes the young camels which are unable 
to endure the fatigue of the journey. The men ride barebacked upon the 
rear ranks of the non-laden camels, and many enjoy tranquil slumber, undis- 
turbed by fear of falling from their perilous position. The chiefs, on horse- 
back, follow or escort the caravan, and men, on foot or mounted on asses, 
are scattered here and there the whole length of the file, according as occu- 
pation or inclination leads them. 

During winter the caravan pursues its way from morning till night with- 
out stopping; but in summer a few hours, during the hottest portion of the 
day, is consecrated to repose. In any case the average number of hours in 
the day's journey does not exceed ten. 

During the journey, the camel looks around for the pasturage he likes, 
and, by elongating his neck, browses upon it without discontinuing his 
march. At the evening halt, a locality as rich in pasturage as can be found is 
selected, the bags and all the luggage of the caravan are deposited in order, 
and piled around in a circle; the camels separate in search of pasturage, but 
are kept in sight by the drivers, who' fasten their forefeet as a security against 
their wandering too far away. While the camels are brow^sing, their driver 
goes to fill the leathern bottles at the well or spring, if there be one in the 
locality; if not, the poor animals' only resource is patience. 

The camel pays nO' heed tO' his rider, pays no' attention w^hether he be 
on his back or not, walks straight on wdien once set agoing, merely because 
he is too stupid to turn aside. Should some tempting thorn or green branch 
allure him out of the path, he continues to walk on in the new direction, 
simply because he is too dull to turn back into the right road. He is from 
first to last an undomesticated and savage animal, rendered serviceable by 
stupidity alone. 

In addition to its value as a beast of burden, the camel is also esteemed 
by the natives of many countries on account of its milk and flesh, while its 
hair is woven into ropes and cloth, and in some parts of India its bones are 
used instead of ivory for inlaying and decorative purposes. 

The Bactrian camel of Central Asia is distinguished from the Arabian 
species, not only by its double hump, but likewise by its inferior height, 
stouter and more clumsy build, shorter legs, and harder and shorter feet, as 
well as by the greater length and abundance of the hair. This animal is, in- 
deed, in all respects, better adapted for a rocky and hilly country than its 



THE STORY OF THE CAMEL. 



127 



southern relative; its shorter and stouter Hmbs rendering it far less liable to 
accidents in traversing precipitous ascents. The largest development of hair 
occurs upon the top of the head, the neck and shoulders, the upper part of 
the fore-limbs, and the humps. 

The Bactrian camel feeds chiefly upon the saline and bitter plants of the 




A BABY CAMEL. 



steppes which are rejected by almost all other animals; and displays a curious 
partiality for salt, drinking freely at the brackish water and salt lakes, which 
are so common throughout its habitat. Instead of confining itself to a 
strictly vegetable diet, the Bactrian camel will, when pressed by hunger, 
readily devour almost anything that it may come across, including felt- 
blankets, bones and skins of animals, flesh and fish. 



128 THE STORY OF THE CAMEL. 

The riding camels are a different breed from those used to carry mer- 
chandise, and a swift camel is as highly prized by an Arab as a good horse is 
prized by Americans or Europeans. The speed of these riding camels con- 
sidered in connection with their endurance is something remarkable. Egyptian 
camels have been known to travel a hundred and twenty miles a day. They 
can go a hundred miles a day easily, and there are authentic cases in Africa 
of messages having been sent a thousand miles in ten days by camel. 

The swiftest breed of the riding camel is known as "El Heirie." The 
Arabs, in their poetical way of speaking, describe the speed of a heirie some- 
thing after this manner : "When thou shalt meet a heirie and say to the rider 
'Salem Aleik,' ere he shall have answered the 'Aleik Salem' he will be afar 
off and nearly out of sight, for his swiftness is like the wind." 

Although the camel serves its master well, it rarely receives good treatment 
in return. It is beaten with and without cause. At night its forelegs cire tied 
together while the animal is in a kneeling position, thus preventing it from 
rising and straying. When it is over-loaded it will not rise, and no amount 
of beating will make it, although the Arab continues to belabor it with a club, 
which experience should have taught him is perfectly useless under the cir- 
cumstances. 

While the camel always wears a look of weariness and despondency, it is 
one of the most tireless of animals, and is fitted by nature to undergo hard- 
ships that would kill the average four-footed beast. 



4 




THE STORY OF THE JAGUAR. 



Once, when in South America, I witnessed an entire village thrown into 
a state of terror by a jaguar. The animal had been without food for many 
days, and starvation had made it desperate. It descended upon the village 
at night, and while prowling around in search of human prey it entered a 
church, the door of which stood upon. 

Early in the morning a priest entered the building when the gaunt and 
famished creature sprang upon him, killing him instantly. A second priest 
who followed soon after met the same fate, but a third, warned by the deep 
growls and the horrible sound made by the animal in crunching the bones 
of his victims, made his escape and gave the alarm. 

In a few moments a large force of natives assembled and surrounded 
the church, but no one dared to enter, for it was impossible to locate the 
position of the beast. Finally a venturesome hunter and myself climbed 
to the top of the building and removed a portion of the roof. We saw 
the fierce animal crouched over the prostrate body of a priest, which was 
so frightfully mangled that there was no question the victim was dead. The 
eyes of the jaguar were shining like balls of green fire. The native hunter 
and I fired together. My bullet struck the murderous beast in the right 
eye and the other shot hit him just behind a fore leg. Then the natives rushed 
in and vented their rage*on his dead carcass. 

129 



130 THE STORY OF THE JAGUAR. 

This was an unusual case, for the jaguar will not attack human beings 
except when he has been provoked or suffering the pangs of extreme 
hunger. It often happens that the islands which they usually inhabit be- 
come flooded, and they are forced to go to the mainland to appease their 
hunger. At such times there is no more dangerous or desperate brute in 
the whole animal creation. 

The size of the jaguar makes it a formidable enemy, for it is the largest 
representative of the cat family inhabiting the New World, being somewhat 
superior in size to the leopard, and having a relatively larger head. It 
resembles the leopard in the ornamentation of the fur, taking the form of 
large rosette-hke dark spots, enclosing lighter centers; and likewise in the 
circular form of the pupil of the eye. The spots are, however, considerably 
larger than in the leopard, the ring of each being usually formed of a number 
of small spots, while the light center of each rosette contains one or more 
spots. Moreover, the rosettes are arranged in from seven to eight rows on 
each side of the body. The ground color of the fur is a rich tan. 

The total average length of a full-grown male jaguar is about 6 feet 2 
inches, the long bushy tail extending to 2 feet i inch, or about a third 
the length over all. A large example had a total length of 6 feet 9 inches, 
of which the tail occupied 2 feet 2 inches; w-hile a still larger specimen is 
said to have measured upwards of five feet from the tip of the nose to the 
root of the tail. 

The range of the jaguar embraces the whole of the country lying be- 
tween the north of Mexico and Texas and the northern parts of Patagonia, 
its southern limit coinciding approximately with the 40th parallel of south 
latitude. 

The jaguar is one of the most expert climbers among the larger cats, and 
I have it that in certain districts of South America, where the forests are 
subject to inundation, and the trees stand so thickly that the passage from 
one to another is perfectly easy, the jaguar will sometimes take to a life in 
the trees, preying upon the troops of monkeys that inhabit the forests. 
There seems to be no record of its having attacked human beings without 
provocation, except when nearly starving. 

The mode of killing its prey is invariable. Leaping to the back of the 
victim, the jaguar, by a rapid movement of the fore-paws, twists its head 
round and breaks its neck. 

Its cry, which cannot be correctly described as a roar, is loud, deep, and 
hoarse, and has been compared to a series of repetitions of the syllables, 
pu, pu, pu. 



THE STORY OP THE JAGUAR. 131 

A peculiar animosity to the jaguar is displayed in the pampas by its near 
relative the puma. Where the two species inhabit the same district they 
are at enmity, the puma being the persistent persecutor of the jao-uar fol- 
lowing and harassing it as a tyrant-bird harasses an eagle or ha.wk moving 
about It with such rapidity as to confuse it, and, when an opportunity occurs 
springing upon its back, and inflicting terrible wounds with teeth and claws' 
Jaguars with scarred backs are frequently killed, and others, not long 




JAGUAR IN ITS NATIVE FOREST. 

escaped from their tormentors, have been easily overcome by the hunters. 
This IS the more remarkable since the puma is an animal of far inferior size 
and power to its adversary, although what it lacks in power it makes up in 
agility. 

The Gauchos of South America are in the habit of capturing the jaguar 
with the lasso; and I once witnessed a curious instance of how one of these 
fierce animals was absolutely paralyzed with fear, induced by a party of 
hunters who intended to capture it in this manner. These hunters had 



13^ THE STORY OF THE JAGUAR. 

started the jaguar in an outlying district of the pampas, and it had taken 
refuge in a dense clump of dry weeds. Though they could see it, it was ! 
impossible to throw the lasso over its head, and after vainly trying to dis- i 
lodge it, they at length set fire to the reeds. Still it refused to stir, but lay i 
with head erect, fiercely glaring at them through the flames. Finally it ] 
disappeared from sight in the black smoke; and when the fire had burnt ! 
itself out, it was found dead and charred in the same spot. Livingstone | 
relates how one of the harnessed antelopes of South Africa will lie close f 
among burning reeds until its horns and hair are singed; both these instances j 
being examples of the paralyzing effects of fear, analogous to that which j 
causes a wolf when caught in a pit to lie perfectly still, even under the inflic- 
tion of severe blows, as if simulating death. 

The jaguar is commonly called tiger by European residents of South | 
America. 

Next to monkeys, peccaries are a favorite article of diet with the jaguar, ; 
but he finds scarcely less difficulty in picking up a peccary than in knocking ji 
down a monkey. For the little, active, sharp-tusked peccary is more swiitishly j 
dull than is usual even with its swinish relatives, and, being too thick-headed 
to understand danger, is a very terrible antagonist toi man or beast. It seems 
to care nothing for size, weapons, or strength, but launches itself as fearlessly | 
on a jaguar or an armed man as on a rabbit or a child. So, unless the jaguar 
can quietly snap up a straggler, he has a small chance with even a small herd i 
of these warlike little pigs. 

But it meets a foeman where we should least expect it — in the toothless 
ant-eater, or ant-lion, the Tamanduhuasu. When the fierce feline springs upon 
it, the long muzzled excavator throws itself on its back to meet its antagonist 
with the amis furnished by nature, and as the jaguar descends the ant-eater 
closes upon its assailant with its four terrible sets of claws, which tear to the 
very vitals, and if the jaguar's teeth sink deep into the unprotected throat of 
the Tamandu, it purchases victory only with its life; both perish together; 
and the Tapuyas Indians in Brazil say that they often find the skeletons of the 
two interlaced, so as to show how they perished. 




THE STORY OF THE BUFFALO. 



Were a second Col. VV. F. Cody to become a scout in the great West, he 
could not win the title borne by the illustrious "Buffalo Bill," for the innumer- 
able herds of buffaloes of thirty years ago have disappeared. When "Buffalo 
Bill" shot and brought in hundreds and thousands of buffalo to' feed the labor- 
ers building the Kansas Pacific railway, and later tO' the United States troops 
stationed at the Nebraska and Wyoming forts, the number of buffaloes roam- 
ing the western plains was estimated at four or five millions. To-day the total 
number of buffaloes in the United States does not exceed one thousand. And 
these few would have been exterminated years agO' had they not been given 
government protection. Such in brief is the story of the most characteristic 
animal of the great plains. 

When the first railroads were built west of the Missouri river, the trains 
were often stopped by the immense herds of buffaloes which in migrating were 
crossing the tracks. But these same trains carried many hunters tO' the region 
inhabited by the buffalo, and the animal was doomed, for his extirpation was 
only a question of years. 

In 1901 there were but three herds of any size remaining; the one in the 
Yellowstone National Park, another in Lost Park, Colorado, and a third at 
Goodnight, Texas. The Goodnight herd is the largest in the country and is 
supported by the Goodnight estate. A ranch of several thousand acres has 
been set aside for the herd and great care is taken with the animals to prevent 
their wandering off and -getting shot. A number of the buffaloes are sold 



134 THE SrORY OF THE BUFFALO. 

annually and the proceeds are devoted to the support of a school in the town. 

While the name by which the animal is generally known is buffalo, the cor- 
rect name is bison, and by naturalists and scientific men is used solely. In the 
West, however, the name buffalo' has been in vogue for so' long a time that it 
will no doubt continue to be used, while there are any of the animals left to 
be given a name. The bull buffalo- measures about 6 feet at the withers and 
weighs about 2,000 pounds. This refers to the largest specimens now extant. 

In earlier days the range of the buffalo was from the Alleghany Mountains 
to Mexico and the far Northwest, but by 1840 few were to be found east of 
the Mississippi and the magnificent animal gathered on the plains of Kansas 
and Nebraska, although large herds roamed through the Indian Territory and \ 
Texas, 

I am of the opinion that, if left to itself, the buffalo- would have crossed the 
Sierra Nevada and coast-ranges to- reach the Pacific slopes; while it would 
ultimately have developed into several distinct races according to- the climate 
of the dift'erent regions it inhabited. An example of the formation of such a 
race is afforded, indeed, by the variety known in the States as the mountain, 
or wood, buffalo. The gradual opening up of the interior of this country, with 
the advance of civilization, soon, however, put an effectual stop to- further 
increase of the species, and eventually led to- its practical extermination. 

Of all the quadrupeds that have ever lived upon the earth, probably no 
other species has ever marshaled such innumerable hosts as those of the Ameri- 
can buffalo. It would have been as easy to count or to estimate the number 
of leaves in a forest as to- calculate the number of buffalo- living at any given 
time during the history of the species previous to- 1870. Even in South Central 
Africa, which has been exceedingly prolific in great herds-of game, it is prob- 
able that all its quadrupeds taken together on an equal area would never have 
more than equaled the total number of buffalo- in this country forty years ago-. 
As an instance of these enormous numbers, it appears that, in the early part 
of the year 1871, Col. Dodge, wdien passing through the great herd on the 
Arkansas, and reckoning that there w^ere some fifteen or twenty individuals to 
the acre, states from his own observation that it was not less than twenty-five 
miles wdde and fifty miles deep. This, however, was the last of the great 
herds, and the number of individuals comprising it could not be reckoned at 
less than four millions. Many writers at and about the date mentioned speak 
of the plains being absolutely black with buffalo as far as the eye could reach. 
One man passed through a herd for a distance of upwards of one hundred and 
twenty miles right on end, in traveling on the Kansas Pacific railroad. Fre- 



I 



THE STORY OF THE BUFFALO. 



135 



quently, indeed, trains on that line were derailed in attempting to pass through 
herds of btiffalo', until the engineers learned it was advisable to bring their 
engines to a standstill when they found the line blocked in this manner. 

When I was on the Arkansas river in 1867 the whole country appeared one 
great mass of buffalo moving slowly to the northward ; and it was only when 
actually among them that it could be ascertained that the apparentlysolid mass 
was an agglomeration of numerous small herds, of from fifty to two hundred 
animals, separated from the surrounding herds by greater or less space, but still 




A FAMILY OF AMERICAN BUFFALO OR BISON. 



separated. The buffalo ou the hills, seeing an unusual O'bject in their rear, 
started at full speed directly towards me, stampeding and bringing with them 
the numberless herds through which they passed, and pouring down upon all 
the herds, no longer separated, but one immense compact mass ol plunging 
animals. 

In their periodical journeys across the country in search of water regular 
tracks were formed by the buffalo, and as the water was approached several 



136 THE STORY OF THE BUFFALO. 

tracks united, with the result that in some places tracks of about twelve inches 
in width, and from a foot to two feet in depth, may be seen folloAving the level 
of the valleys ; the buffalo in these journeys having always marched in single 
file. These old buffalo-tracks still remain as a mementO' of a vanished race, 
and are now used by the domestic cattle which have supplanted the monarchs 
of the prairie. After reaching the watering-place, the herd, instead of return- 
ing to its original feeding-ground, would wander right and left in search of 
fresh pastures. When undisturbed in good pasture, buffalo' were always in 
the habit of lying down for a few hours during the middle of the day; and 
they were at certain seasons fond of rolling either in dust or mud. In dis- 
tricts where salt lakes occurred, the buffalo would resort to them in great 
numbers. All the great herds were in the habit of moving southwards for 
a distance of from two hundred tO' four hundred miles with the approach of 
wiijter; and during such journeys it frequently happened that numbers were 
lost in crossing quick-sands, alkali-bogs, muddy fords, or on treacherous ice. 
It is stated that in 1867 upwards of two thousand buffalo out of a herd of 
four thousand were lost in a quicksand ; and that an entire herd of about one 
hundred head perished when crossing the ice on a lake in Minnesota, 

I have seen buffalO' boldly face the cutting blizzards of the Northwest, 
instead of turning tail to them after the manner of domestic cattle ; although 
they would at the same time seek such shelter as might be obtainable by retir- 
ing to the ravines and valleys. In heavy falls of snow, which lay long on 
the ground, the buffalo were often compelled tO' fast for days, or even weeks, 
together; but they suffered most when the surface of the snow was covered 
with a thin crust of ice after a slight thaw, as their ponderous weight would 
drive their feet deep intO' the snow, and leave them at the mercy of the Indians, 
by whom they were slain by hundreds when thus helpless. 

The method of stalking, or "still-hunting," where the hunter creeps up to a 
herd and shoots one after another of its members, appears to be one the most 
deadly modes of hunting the buffalo, owing tO' the crass stupidity of the animals 
themselves. The plan adopted was first to shoot the leader, when the remainder 
of the herd would come and stupidly smell round the body, till another animal 
assumed the post of leader, and was shot down when it was about tO' make 
a move; the same process being repeated almost without end. Riding down, 
surrounding, impounding, or hunting in snow-shoes were, however, other 
equally effective methods of destruction. 

In captivity the American buffalo' breeds freely, not only with its own kind, 
but also with other species of cattle. In the United States a herd has been 



THE STORY OF THE BUFFALO. 



137 



established by crossing bull buffalo^ with domestic cows; the buffalo cow not 
producing a hybrid offspring. This hybrid race is perfectly fertile, either with 
itself or when again crossed with domestic cattle; and it is considered that a 
strain of buffalo-blood will lead toi the cattle in the Northwestern states beine 
better enabled to withstand the blizzards of those districts. 

In general the buft'alo' has no reason to fear any of the other animals that 
frequent ihe regions it inhabits, for if an individual should be attacked, the 




AMERICAN BUFFALOES, SHOWING METHODS OF HUNTING THEM. 



bulls rally to its assistance, and compel the assailant toi flee before the blows 
which they inflict with their anned heads. It is only when wounded by the 
Indian's arrow, or by the bullet of the white man's rifle, or else from becom- 
ing sick from any cause, that this great beast falls a victim to^ its four-footed 
enemies. The cunning white wolf is the one it has most to^ dread ; for these 
stealthy, thick-coated Arabs of the prairies soon ascertain when a buffalo is in 



138 THE STORY OF THE BUFFALO. 

feeble condition, and, banding together, easily pull it to the ground and tear 
it to pieces. But the buffalo does not succumb to its foes without an effort 
to preserve its fast-ebbing life. Bold and gallant to the last, staggering to his 
sole remaining spot of vantage ground, the feeble knees bending beneath the 
weight of the mighty body — weak with loss of blood, yet still unconquered — 
the noble bull tosses his fierce-looking head and bids defiance to his lurking- 
foes. With eager, bloodshot eyes, and the keen white fangs glistening in their 
powerful jaws, the wolves set on him from every side. By sudden springs they 
seize and tear his flesh with their sharp teeth, darting away too quickly to be 
injured by horn or hoof. Vain are his efforts to reach the nimble assailants, 
until, summoning all his remaining strength, he rushes upon one that, more 
daring than the rest^ attacks him in front, and even in the act of trampling 
him down, falls upon the body of his prostrate foe, too feeble to carry out the 
unequal combat. Never will he rise again, for instantly the angry wolves 
fairly swarm upon him, and soon nothing will be left to tell of the mighty 
buffalo but a well picked skeleton whitening in the summer sun. 

Mounted on a swift horse, and armed with a spear and bow and arrows, 
the Indians killed great numbers of these animals. They rode up close to the 
buffalo, and with the greatest apparent ease buried an arrow up to its feather in 
the creature's body. Indeed many instances are known where the slight Indian 
bow, drawn without any perceptible effort, has thrown the arrow completely 
through the body of the huge animal. Many modes of destroying this animal 
were in vogue among the Indians and white settlers. The skin was so valuable 
that every exertion was made to procure it. Of the buffalo's hide they made 
their wigwams or tents, their shields, their robes, their shoes, etc. The Indians 
could also sell the hides to the traders for a considerable sum, so' that an Indian 
would almost measure his importance and wealth by the number of hides that 
he took. 

Their ferocity of appearance was not evident in the buffaloes' true nature, 
for their disposition was sluggish and fearful. Endowed with the smallest 
po'ssible amount of instinct, the little the buffalo has seems adapted rather for 
getting him into diffkulties than out of them. If not alarmed at the sight or 
smell of a foe, he will stand stupidly gazing at his companions in their death- 
throes, until the whole herd is shot down. He will walk unconsciously in a 
quicksand or quagmire already choked with struggling, dying victims. Hav- 
ing made up his mind to go a certain way, it is almost impossible to swerve 
him from his purpose. 

The flesh of the buffalo is tolerable eating, but the "hump" is unapproach- 



THE STORY OF THE BUFFALO. 



139 



able in delicacy. It is exceedingly tender, and possesses the property of not 
cloying even when eaten in excess. The fat is devoid of that sickening rich- 
ness which is usually met with in our domesticated animals. 

The cow is smaller than the bull, and considerably swifter. She is also' 
generally in better condition and fatter than her mate, and in consequence the 
hunters who went to "get meat" always selected the cows from the herd. 

The principal use of the flesh of the buffalo was to make "jerked meat" of 
it. This is made by cutting the meat into loi-^, narrow slips, and drying 




EUROPEAN BUFFALOES FIGHTING. 



them in the sun. There is a peculiar art in cutting these slips. The operator 
takes a large lump of the flesh, and holding his knife firmly in one hand, presses 
the meat against its edge with the other, continually turning it round and 
round, until the whole piece is converted intO' one long strip. The strips thus 
prepared are pegged out on stakes, as washerwomen peg their clothes, or sus- 
pended in festoons on the branches of trees, like red snakes, until they are dry 
enough to be packed up. Three days is considered sufficient for the purpose. 
The cow is preferred to the bull for conversion into jerked meat, while the 



140 THE STORY OF THE BUFFALO. 

skin of the bull is more valuable than that of the cow, from the mass of woolly 
hair about the shoulders. 

THE INDIAN BUFFALO. 

The Indian buffaloi has been domesticated and is extensively employed 
as a beast oi burden by the Hindoos. It has also been introduced into several 
of the adjoining countries. The animal is about the size of a full-grown 
ox and is harnessed and driven in a manner similar to that our forefathers 
used with the ox. This species has enormous curved horns, some measuring 
12 and 14 feet from tip to tip. 

In a wild state the Indian buffalo^ is only known in the country from which 
it takes its name, the herds which are found in a wild state in Burma and 
the Malay Peninsula and adjacent islands being not improbably descended 
from animals escaped from captivity. 

In India wild buffaloes are found on the plains of the Bramaputra and 
Ganges, from the eastern end of Assam tO' Tirhut; they also occur in the "terai" 
land at the foot of the Himalaya. Domesticated buffaloes are found not only 
over the whole of India and Burma, and the greater part of the Malayan 
region, but have likewise been introduced intoi Asia Minor, E,gypt and Italy. 

The haunts of the wild Indian buffalo are the tall grass-jungles found 
in many parts of the plains of India, and generally in the neighborhood of 
swamps; but it may be also found more rarely in the open plains of short 
grass, or among low jungle, and occasionally even in forest. Those who 
have never had the opportunity of seeing an Indian grass-jungle can have but 
little conception of its height and density, but some idea may be formed of 
it from the fact that in such cover, although a herd of buffaloes may be roused 
within a score of yards, the waving of the grass, and perhaps the glint of a 
polished horn-tip, is the only ocular evidence of the presence of the animals ; 
the probably nearly noiseless rush might be caused by other animals; and 
where the horns have not been seen it is only by the strong, sweet bovine 
scent — similar to- but much more powerful than that of cows — that one can 
be absolutely certain of what is in front of one. In such jungles shooting 
'>n foot is out of the question, and the only method of procedure is by beating 
with a line of elephants. 

In their wild state these buffaloes are always found in herds, which may 
comprise fifty or more individuals. They feed chiefly on grass, in the evening, 
at night, and in the morning; and lie down, generally in high grass, not 



I 



THE STORY OP THE BUFFALO. 



141 



unfrequently in a marsh, during the day ; they are by noi means shy, nor do' 
they appear to shun the neighborhood of man, and they commit great havoc 
among growing crops. Sometimes a herd or a solitary bull will take posses- 
sion of a field and keep o.ff the men who own it. A bull not unfrequently 
attacks without provocation, though (probably on the principle that a council 




THE ARNEE BUFFALO OF ASSAM. 



of war never fights) a herd, although all will gallop to within a short distance 
of an intruder and make most formidable demonstrations, never, I believe, 
attacks any one who does not run away from them. A wounded animal 
of either sex often charges, and has occasionally been known toi knock an 
elephant down. Buffaloes retain their courage in captivity, and a herd will 



142 



THE STORY OP THE BUFFALO. 



attack a tiger or other dangerous animal without hesitation, and, although 
gentle with those they know and greatly attached to them, they are inclined 
to be hostile to strange men and strange animals. 

In earlier times the buffalo was common throughout Europe, but the 
advance of civilization there as in this country later drove the animal back, 
until the present time it is restricted tO' a few of the most inaccessible mountain 
reg-ious. 



WWFiiWlfm^lTilll1i1l|l1'il1i|l'!llll!ll!!i!lllll^ 



WW 



mm 







COMMON INDIAN BUFFALO. 



The buffalo now living in Lithuania are specially protected by the Russian 
Government and are under the charge of a staff of keepers, but those of the 
Caucasus are thoroughly wild. Although living at a greater altitude, and 
thus exposed tO' a more intense cold, the buffalo of the Caucasus are less 
thickly haired than are those of Lithuania. Buffalo' were abundant in the 
Black Forest in the time of Julius Caesar, and as late as the ninth and tenth 



THE STORY OF THE BUFFALO. 143 

eentiiries were sufficiently numerous in parts of Switzerland and Germany 
to be used as food. In a recent summary of the history of the species I found 
that up to 1500 the European buffalo seems to have been common in Poland 
where it was looked upon as royal game, and hunted in right royal manner 
by the king and nobility, as many as two thousand or three thousand beaters 
being employed to drive the game. 




CAPE BUFFALOES. 



In spite of their size and bulk, the European buffalo are active animals, 
and can both trot and gallop with considerable speed. In galloping the head 
is carried clo^se to the ground and the tail high in the air. Generally they 
are sly and retiring in disposition, but in Lithuania an old bull has been 
known to take possession (3i a road and challenge all comers. The female dis- 



144 THE STORY OF THE BUFFALO, 

plays great courage in defending its offspring against bears and wolves, and 
cows often sacrifice their lives in behalf of their calves. 

THE CAPE BUFFALO. 

The Cape buffalo is a native of South Africa. It is exceedingly ferocious 
and cunning," often lurking among the trees until an unsuspecting traveler 
approaches, and then rushing on him and destroying him. The ferocious 
creature is not content with killing its victim, but stands over him mangling 
him with its horns, and stamping on him with its feet. 

The Cape buffalo has but two enemies — the lion and man; and the com- 
bined assaults of these twO' have in some districts so reduced its numbers that 
as far back as 1875, where there were formerly herds of from ten to one hun- 
dred in number, not ten head are to be found. A combat between three lions 
and a bull buffalo was once witnessed by me. After a game fight the buffalo 
was vanquished. The bulls frequently engage in fights between themselves. 
I had the good fortune to witness one of these. On looking through the edge 
of a thicket which concealed them I saw two buffalo bulls standing facing each 
other with lowered heads, and, as I sat down tO' watch, they rushed together 
with all their force, producing a loud crash. Once their horns were interlocked, 
they kept them so, their straining quarters telling that each was doing his best 
to force the other backwards. Several long white marks on their necks 
showed where they had received scratches, and blood dripping down the 
withers of the one next me proved that he had received a more severe wound. 
It was a magnificent sight to see the enormous animals, every muscle at its 
fullest tension, striving for the mastery. Soon one, a very large and old 
bull, began to yield a little, going backwards step by step, but at last, as if 
determined to conquer or die, it dropped on its knees. The other, disengaging 
his horns for a second, so as to gain an impetus, again rushed at him, but 
did not strike him on the forehead, but on the neck, under the hump, and I 
could see that with a twist of his horns he inflicted a severe wound. Instead, 
however, of following up his advantage, this one withdrew and gave up the 
battle. Had he pressed his advantage he would eventually have won. 




STORY OF THE ARMADILLO. 



In Central and South America dwells a little creature that might pro- 
perly be called an animal battleship. It is the armadillo, and as may be 
inferred from its Spanish name it is protected by heavy armor which covers 
it so completely that by drawing in its head and legs no part of its person 
is exposed except the tail. 

While riding over the pampas, accompanied by several gauchos (which 
are the native cowboys) I had a severe fall by reason of my horse stepping 
into an armadillo's burrow. An examination of the ground showed me that 
there were numerous burrows in the soft earth, but so cleverly concealed 
that they could only be discovered by searching for them. 

All armadillos burrow in the ground; and so rapid is the act of burrow- 
ing, that, as the writer has witnessed, if a horseman sees one of the animals, 
it is almost necessary for him to tumble off his horse in order to capture it 
before it disappears in the soft soil of the pampas. 

Though its claws are not of very great size, they are yet most formidable 
weapons, and an armadillo, if brought to bay, will sometimes use them upon 
its foe with terrible effect, rolling over upon its back, and striking so fiercely 
and rapidly at its enemy with its armed feet as often to inflict very severe 
1 wounds. 

It is not very easy, however, to bring an armadillo to bay, for its smaller 

145 



146 



THE STORY OF THE ARMADILLO. 



claws give it so great an advantage that it can run with wonderful speed, 
and, if not quickly overtaken, is sure to make its escape into its burrow, 
whence it cannot be turned out except by many an hour of hard digging. 
And its ears, moreover, are so sharp that a hunter finds it very difficult even 
to catch sight of the wary little animal, so that nature has furnished it with 
very useful means of protection from its foes. 

Sometimes, however, before they can become quite concealed, they are 




METHODS OF HUNTING THE ARMADILLO, 



caught by the tail; and then they resist so powerfully, that the tail often 
breaks short of¥, and is left in the hands of the pursuers. To avoid this the 
hunter has recourse to artifice; and, by tickling the animal with a stick, 
it looses its hold, and sufifers itself to be taken without further trouble. When 
caught, the armadillo rolls itself into a ball, and will not again extend itself 
unless placed near the fire. 



THB STORY OF THE ARMADILLO. 



U*l 



These animals are hunted with small dogs, which are trained for this 
purpose. The hunters know when they are concealed in their holes, by the 
number of flies which then hover round; and their usual mode of forcing 
them out is by smoking the burrows, or pouring in water. If they begin to 
dig, the animal digs also; and by throwing the earth behind it, so effect- 
ually closes up the hole, that the smoke cannot penetrate. 

A moonlight night is the best time to hunt armadillos for they are then 
abroad searching for food — ants, mice, worms, larvas, insects, birds eggs and 
snakes, besides many different vegetable fibres. The hunter needs no weapon 
but a stout club, and no assistant but a good dog. 




THE PELUDO OR BROWN-HAIRED ARMADILLO. 



As soon as the armadillo perceives the dog, it either makes straight for 
its burrow, or endeavors to bury itself by digging a hole where it stands. 
-If the dog come up with the creature before it gain its retreat, its fate is 
sealed. As the shell which covers the upper part of its body affords no hold, 
the dog generally seizes the armadillo by the head, or a paw, and holds it till 
' the arrival of his master, by whom it is despatched with a blow oti the head 
jirom his stick. A specially clever dog will, however, endeavor to overthrow 
the armadillo as it runs by thrusting his nose under the edge of the shell. 
The creature is then promptly seized by the soft under-parts, and soon killed. 

The bony covering which is such a powerful means of defense to the 



148 THE STORY OF THE ARMADILLO. 

armadillo is sometimes used as a weapon of attack. I once saw an armadillo 
kill a snake by rushing upon it and using the jagged edge of its armor as a 
saw. The reptile was sawed into pieces. The struggles of the snake were 
all in vain, as its fangs could make no impression upon the panoply of its 
assailant; and eventually the reptile slowly dropped and died, to be soon 
after devoured by the armadillo, which commenced the meal by seizing the 
snake's tail in its mouth, and gradually eating forward. 

Despite its diet, the tiesli of the armadillo has a pleasant flavor, and the 
natives are very fond of them baked in the shell. 

The armadillo are all small, except the gigantic armadillo, which is but 
rarely found. There was a great commotion in our camp one day and on 
investigating I found that an armadillo of gigantic size had caused the com- 
motion. It was lying, a round, misshapen mass, its head partly buried under 
its armor, the feet drawn together, and its body pierced by numerous arrows. 
It offered not the slightest resistance to its tormentors, whom I desired to 
end its sufferings by a heavy stroke of a club. Two men were required to 
carry it. It weighed one hundred and twenty pounds; its height was about 
three feet, its length five and a half. Its tail was about fourteen or sixteen 
inches long, and its root nearly as thick as a man's thigh, tapering very 
abruptly. The middle one of the five toes of the fore-foot was seven and a 
half inches in length. In size it greatly surpasses the largest giant armadillo 
known. 




THE STORY OF THE LYNX. 



In my various travels I have met and studied no less than twenty species of 
lynx. The true lynx, that makes its home in Europe and northern Africa, is 
the best representative of the general class, but the American species have 
many similar characteristics. 

The body is always marked with small black spots during the summer. In 
some instances, perhaps in young animals only, these spots continue during 
the winter. This, however, appears to occur only among the lynxes of 
Europe; those of Asia having the winter dress without spots, except on the 
flanks and limbs, while they may be also wanting there. The hairs of the 
fur vary in color in different parts of their length, and are tipped with black. 
The ears are gray on the outsides, with black margins, tips, and tufts. Occa- 
sionally the under-parts of the body are spotted. The length of a full-grown 
lynx is thirty-three inches, exclusive of the tail, which measures only seven 
and three-quarters inches ; but the length of the head and body may be upwards 
of forty inches. 

When taken young, the lynx can be easily tamed. I saw a full-grown 
tame Thibetan lynx in the possession of the governor of Ladak, in Leh, 
and another in Calcutta. Both specimens were very playful, although the 
former would occasionally be somewhat too free with its claws. It displayed 
marvellous agility in capturing the half-wild pigeons which abound in Leh, 

149 



150 



THE STORY OF THE LYNX. 



In Ladak, where the lynx is a rare animal, but seldom seen by Europeans, 
its chief food appears to consist of the blue hares which occur in swarms in 
many of the higher valleys. One summer when shooting at a high elevation 
near Hanle, in Spiti, I suddenly came upon a female lynx with two cubs. I 
shot the mother, and as the cubs concealed themselves among some rocks, I 
barricaded them in, and went on with my hunting. On arriving in camp, I 
sent back men to try and catch the cubs; in this they succeeded, and brought 
them back to me. They were about the size of half-grown cats, and more 




THE CARACAL OR DESERT LYNX. 



spiteful, vicious little devils cannot be imagined; they were, however, very 
handsome, with immense heads and paws. For two or three days they re- 
fused all food, but at the end of that time they fed quite ravenously from the 
hand. 

The Canada lynx is a native of North America, and is remarkable for 
its gait. Its method of progression is by bounds from all four feet at once, 
with the back arched. It feeds principally on the American hare, as it is not 
courageous enough to attack the larger quadrupeds. Its length is about three 



THE STORY OF THE LYNX. 



151 



feet. The Indians sometimes eat its flesh, which is white and firm, and not 
unhke that of the American hare itself. Its skin forms an important article of 
commerce, and between seven and nine thousand are exported annually by 
the Hudson's Bay Company. 

The pardine or Southern European lynx is, perhaps, the handsomest rep- 
resentative of the entire group, its fur being distinctly spo'tted at all seasons 




THE CANADA LYNX. 



of the year. The color of the body is yellowish above, and white beneath; 
the rounded black spots occurring on the body, tail and limbs. From the ex- 
amination of the skin alone I regard this animal merely as a southern spotted 
variety of the common lynx, analogous to the spotted and banded southern 
varieties of the American bay lynx. An examination of the skull showed, 
Iiowever, .some differences from that of the northern lynx, 



153 THE STORY OF THE LYNX. 

This lynx is found in Europe in Spain, Sicily, Sardinia, Greece and Tur- 
key. Its habits are probably very similar to those of the northern species. 

The foxy-colored cat known as the caracal is a species of lynx, and agrees 
with the latter in its long Hmbs, penciled ears, and the characters of its teeth; 
but in its longer tail, absence of a ruff round the throat, and less close and 
thick fur, it resembles the caffre-cat. The transition from the typical cats 
to the lynxes is, therefore, complete. The caracal is sometimes called the 
desert lynx. 

In addition to its long limbs it is characterized by its slender build, the 
length of the tail being equal to one-third of that of the hind leg and body, 
and by the long tufts of black hair surmounting the long ears. The length of 
the head and body varies from 26 to 30 inches, and that of the tail from 9 
to 10 inches; the height at the shoulder being from 16 to 18 inches. 

This species is sometimes known as the Persian, and at others as the red 
lynx, but the latter name is properly applied to a North American variety 
of the true lynx. Although a rare animal everywhere, the caracal is spread 
over the greater part of India, with the exception of Bengal, the Malabar 
coast, and the Eastern Himalaya. It is unknown to the eastward of the 
Bay of Bengal, but towards the southwest it is found in Mesopotamia, and 
perhaps the Persian highlands. It is also found in Arabia; and over a large 
portion cf Africa it is the sole representative of the lynxes. 

We have little or no information as to the habits of the caracal in Africa, 
and only a scant record of its mode of life in India. I know, however, that 
it dwells among grass and bushes, rather than in forests. Its prey consists 
largely of gazelles, the smaller species of deer, hares, pea-fowl, florican, 
cranes, and other birds; and so active is the creature, that it has the power 
of springing up and capturing birds on the wing at a height of five or six 
feet above the ground. The caracal is easily tamed, and in some parts of 
India is trained to capture several of the animals mentioned above as forming 
its natural prey. It is a favorite amusement among the natives to let loose 
a couple of tame caracals among a flock of pigeons feeding on the ground, 
when each of them will strike down as many as ten birds before the flock 
can escape. It is believed that the expression "Inyx-eyed" owes its origin 
to this species. 




STORY OF THE ELEPHANT. 



Everybody knows that the elephant is the largest of living animals, that 
his tusks are ivory and that he has enormous strength. Many other things 
the reader knows of this big beast, and yet this story is written for the pur- 
pose of describing scenes and incidents, in which I took a prominent part, 
new and no'vel to you. The years I lived in India and along the upper Nile 
have made me familiar with the animal and have given me an opportunity 
to study him in nature's domain. The elephant in captivity undergoes many 
changes in disposition and act. 

The deep and widespread interest in the elephant, which surpasses that 
accorded any other animal, is not misplaced, since the elej^hant is without 
exception the most extraordinary of the brute creation. The name pachy- 
derm is frequently used in describing the elephant, but it is no more applic- 
able than would be a half dozen others. Pachyderm means thick-skinned, 
and describes one quality of the animal, for the skin of the elephant is thicker 
and tougher than that of any other of the animals with the exception of the 
rhinoceros and the hippopotamus. 

Much has been written about the size attained by the elephant, but nothing 
is positively known, for no animal in captivity will attain the growth it will 
in its native state, and it is plain that there may be larger elephants still in the 
forest and jungle than were ever killed by the European hunters. The fact 
that tusks larger than those ever found by the white hunters are often 
brought to the coast by the natives of Africa give evidence of this, 

15,3 



154 THE STORY OF THE 'ELEPHANT. 

Jumbo, over eleven feet in height at the withers and weighing over si-K and 
one-half tons, was raised in captivity at London and was in this country for 
several seasons. He was the chief attraction at a circus while on this side 
of the Atlantic. He was without doubt the largest specimen ever in this 
country, but I have seen a number larger and heavier both in Africa and in 
Ceylon and Bengal. The height of the African elephant, which is considered 
larger than the Asiatic, is probably never over fifteen feet, and his weight 
is certainly not more than eight or nine tons. His length of body is in some 
instances over thirty feet. 

The dimensions of the tusks vary greatly, and the maximum length is 
only approximately known. Several specimens measuring over twenty feet 
were brought me by natives, who declared they had seen much longer ones. 
One of these tusks weighed between two' hundred and three hundred pounds. 

The tusks of the elephant furnish exceedingly fine ivory, which is used 
for various purposes, such as knife-handles, combs, billiard-balls, etc. There 
is a great art in making a billiard-ball. Some parts of the tusk are always 
heavier than others, so that if the heavy part should fall on one side of the 
ball, it would not run true. The object of the maker is either to get the 
heavier portion in the center, or tO' make the ball from a piece of ivory of 
equal weight. In either case, the ball is made a little larger than the proper 
size; it is then hung up in a dry room for several months, and finally turned 
down to the requisite dimensions. 

It is of course impossible to obtain any accurate data as to the age wluch 
the elephant may attain in its wild state, and can only, therefore, suggest an 
approximation to what this may be from captive specimens. Although full 
growuvat the age of twenty-five, an elephant, as determined by the condition 
of its teeth, is not then mature. A female captured in Coorg in 1805, when 
about three years of age, did not appear to be particularly old-looking in 
1898, although she had then passed her prime. Other individuals have been 
known to live in captivity for over a century; and since it is obvious that the 
artificial mode of life which prevails in this state cannot be one tending to 
promote longevity, it is probable that the estimate of a century and a half as 
the duration of life in the wild state is not excessive. 

In India each elephant has his own individual master or keeper, and a 
great attachment often springs up between the beast and his human friend. 
In many cases when the keeper falls ill or is killed, the elephant must be 
killed, for he will not obey any one else. Some of the tamed animals refuse 
to take instructions from any one but their master, and the intelligence 



THE STORY OF THE ELEPHANT. 



155 



shown is almost human. It is beheved that the elephant has a small nerve 
center located in the brain and that in this peculiar formation is the seat of 
his intelligence. He is the only animal to- possess this unusual mass, which 
corresponds to the human ganglion. 

Long periods are required to complete the course of instruction, but 
when once mastered, the elephant is capable of doing many things which are 
of great use to man. It has been shown that the animal is used for many 




FEMALE INDIAN ELEPHANT. 



purposes, but when out of humor he will refuse to work and often proves 
destructive, rather than beneficial. Kipling, who wrote probably the best 
fiction ever printed regarding the elephant, has a number of stories which 
describe certain traits of the animal. In his story of "Moti Guj, Mutineer," 
he relates how the keeper of an elephant wanted to take a vacation. He ar- 
j-anged to return on the ninth day, and when the time for departure came h§ 



156 THE STORY OF THE ELEPHANT. 

struck the elephant on the foot nine times to indicate the number of days 
he would be absent. During the nine days the elephant performed his regu- 
lar duties under the guidance of another keeper, but when the master failed 
to return on the tenth day, Moti Guj rebelled and refused to work. Not only 
did he absolutely refuse to perform his regular duties, but he went among 
the other elephants and induced them to go on a strike. There was a general 
revolt, and the police elephants, which are kept on all the large Indian planta- 
tions for the purpo'se of chastising unruly members of the band, were sent out 
to subdue the leader of the rebels. But Moti Guj showed fight and he finally 
overpowered and drove back the police. The herd was on a rampage the re- 
mainder of the day, but the following morning the keeper returned and Moti 
Guj was set to doing hard tasks. He accepted the situation cheerfully. 

During one of the wars in India I had an opportunity of observing one of 
the elephants that had received a flesh wound from a cannon-ball. After hav- 
ing been two or three times conducted to the hospital, he always used to go 
alone to have his wound dressed. 

Tlie domesticated elephant is largely employed in India for the transport of 
heavy camp-equipage, for dragging timber to the rivers, and in lieu of horses 
for artillery; and is of especial value in traversing districts where roads are 
either wanting, or are so bad as to be impassable for other animals when 
laden. Elephants may be employed either as beasts of burden or of draught. 
In dragging timber of moderate dimensions, a short rope is attached to one 
end of each log, which the elephant seizes between his teeth, and thus raising 
his burden from the ground, half carries and half drags it away. Tuskers are 
both stronger and more useful than females, since their tusks often aid them 
in the performance of their duties. 

The majority of the animals employed in tasks like the above, belong to 
what the natives term the inferior castes; tuskers of the finest and most a])- 
proved form being far too expensive to be put to such uses. The majority 
of such animals are, indeed, purchased by the native princes, by whom they 
are used in state pageants, and the taller the animal, the greater his value. 

In India these animals were formerly employed in the launching of ships. 
An elephant was directed to force a very large vessel into the water; but the 
work proved superior to his strength. His master, in a sarcastic tone, bade 
the keeper take away this lazy beast, and bring another. The poor animal 
instantly repeated his efforts, fractured his skull, and died on the spot. 

A story is related of an elephant having formed such an attachment for 
a very young child, that he was never happy but when the child was neaj" 



THE STORY OF THE ELEPHANT. 



im 



him. The nurse frequently took it in its cradle, and placed it between his 
feet. This he at length became so much accustomed to, that he would never 
eat his food except it was present. When the child slept, he would drive 
off the flies with his proboscis; and when it cried, would move the cradle 
backward and forward, and thus rock it again to sleep. 

A sentinel belonging to the present menagerie at Paris, was always very 
careful in requesting the spectators not to give the elephants anything to 
eat. This conduct particularly displeased the female, who beheld him with 




INDIAN ELEPHANT, TRUMPETING. 

(Showing methods of hunting it.) 

a very unfavorable eye, and several times endeavored to correct his inter- 
ference, by sprinkling his head with water from her trunk. One day, when 
several persons were collected to view these animals, a bystander offered the 
female a bit of bread. 

The sentinel perceived it; but the moment he opened his mouth to give 
his usual admonition, she, placing herself immediately before him, discharged 
in his face a considerable stream of water. A general laugh ensued, but the 



158 THE STORY OF THE ELEPHANT. 

sentinel, having calmly wiped his face, stood a little to one side, and con- 
tinued as vigilant as before. Soon afterwards, he fotnid himself under the 
necessity of repeating his admonition to the spectators; but no sooner was 
this uttered than the female laid hold of his musket, twirled it round with her 
trunk, trod it under her feet, and did not restore it till she had twisted it 
nearly into the form of a screw. 

At Macassar, an elephant driver had a cocoanut given him, which, out 
of wantonness, he struck twice against his elephant's forehead, to break. 
The day following the animal saw some cocoanuts exposed in the street for 
sale; and taking one of them up with his trunk, beat it about the driver's 
head, and killed him on the spot. 

A tame elephant, kept by an officer in India, was suffered to go at large. 
The animal used to walk about the streets in as quiet and familiar a manner 
as any of the inhabitants; and delighted much in visiting the shops, particu- 
larly those which sold herbs and fruit, where he was well received, except by 
a couple of brutal cobblers* who, without any cause, took offense at the gen- 
erous creature, and once or twice attempted to wound his proboscis with 
their awls. The noble animal, who' knew it was beneath him to^ crush them, 
did not disdain to chastise them by other means. He filled his large trunk 
with a considerable quantity of water, not of the cleanest quality, and ad- 
vancing to them, as usual, covered them at once with a dirty flood. The fools 
were laughed at, and the punishment applauded. 

I have had experience with both the African and the Indian elephant 
and know the former to be the more dangerous animal of the two, and the 
one that is more ready to charge. The females, especially those that are 
barren and have small tusks, are far more dangerous than males, frequently 
charging without the least provocation, even when unwounded ; and hunters 
will sometimes take the trouble to kill one of these worthless females before 
attacking the tuskers. I am, of the opinion that the greater number of acci- 
dents that have occurred in African elephant-shooting may be set down to 
females. 

The intrepid Arabs of the Soudan slay the elephant in the same manner 
as the rhinoceros, by hamstringing it with a long two-edged sword. Three 
or four mounted hunters, singling out a tusker and separating it from its 
fellows, follow it until, tired out, the animal faces its pursuers, and prepares 
to charge. Directly it does so, the hunter who is the object of the charge 
puts his horse to a gallop, and is closely followed by the elephant. There- 
upon, two of his companions follow at their best pace behind ; and as soon as 



THE STORY OF THE ELEPHANT. 



159 



they come up with the fleeing animal, one seizes the reins of the horse of 
his fellow, who immediately leaps to the ground, and with one blow of his 
huge sword divides the tendon of the elephant's leg a short distance above 
the heel. The ponderous beast is at once brought to a standstill, and is at 
the mercy of its aggressors. 

A somewhat similar method was formerly practiced in Mashonaland, only 




AFRICAN ELEPHANT. 



there the hunters went on foot, and their weapon was a broad-bladed axe; 
with this they crept up behind a sleeping elephant, and severed the back ten- 
don of the leg in the same manner as above. 

Other tribes in the same district employ a heavily-weighted spear, which 
is plunged into the animal's back by a hunter seated on a bough overhanging 
one of the most frequentod pathways. On receiving the weapon, the eleplian't 



160 THE STORY OF THE ELEPHANT. 

of course immediately rushes off, and the weight of the spear, aided by blows 
from boughs, soon so enlarges the wound, that the animal quickly sinks to 
the ground, exhausted from loss of blood. In other districts, as in parts of 
Equatoria, the weighted spear is suspended from a horizontal bar fixed be- 
tween two tiers of poles. The spear or knife is kept in position by a cord, 
which is held down by a stake that is directed horizontally toward the middle 
of the trap; and by another which, at a convenient angle, is interposed be- 
tween this and the end. The animal, striking with his feet, loosens the con- 
trivance, which then falls violently ; the knife wounds the animal with singular 
exactness in the spot where the brain unites with the nape of the neck. The 
blow falls like a thunder-clap; and if the trap is well made, the elephant strug- 
gles and dies. 

The European sportsman kills the African elephant either by lying in 
wait at one of its drinking-places, or by attacking it in the open, either on 
foot or on horseback. At the present day, however, most or all of the ele- 
phants remaining in South-Eastern Africa are restricted to districts infested 
by the tsetsi fly, where horses cannot exist, and the pursuit must conse- 
quently be undertaken on foot. Owing to the conformation of its skull, the 
front-shot, so frequently emloyed in the case of the Indian elephant, is inef- 
fectual with the African species, and there are but two spots where a bullet 
may be expected to prove fatal; one of these being in the head behind the 
eye, and the other in the shoulder immediately behind the flap of the ear. 

The old bulls are frequently solitary for a time, but generally each belongs 
to a particular herd, which it visits occasionally. Solitary male elephants 
are known as "rogues," and are generally characterized by their fierce and 
quarrelsome disposition. Elephants that are permanently solitary are, how- 
ever, comparatively rare, the majority of the so-called rogues really belong- 
ing to herds. These leave their companions, as a rule, merely for a time, in 
order to visit the cultivated lands, where the less venturesome females hesi- 
tate to follow, and where they inflict enormous damage on the growing 
crops. 

In the kingdom of Siam there are occasionally to be found white ele- 
phants, but these are very scarce, and are regarded with much veneration. 
This is owing to the belief of the Siamese in the doctrine that the souls of 
men, after their death, pass into the body of some white animal. They 
imagine that the body of so rare an animal as a white elephant must of neces- 
sity be inhabited by the spirit of some king or other mighty personage. They 
say, that for all his majesty the King of Siam knows to the contrary, the 



1 



THE STORY OF THE ELEPHANT. 



Ul 



soul of his father, or some other ancestor, may inhabit the body of one of 
the white elephants; and, in consequence of this theory, every white elephant, 
in Siam, has the title of king, is lodged and fed in a very sumptuous manner, 
and is never ridden, even by the king himself, as the elephant is as great a 
king as he is. 

A curious instance is recorded of the elephant's liking for sweetmeats, and 




BABY ELEPHANT OF THE SOUDAN. 



of a method adopted in his savage state tO' gratify this propensity. It chanced 
that a Coolie, laden with jaggery, which is a coarse preparation of sugar, was 
surprised in a narrow pass in India by a wild elephant. The poor fellow, in- 
tent upon saving his life, threw down the burden, which the elephant de- 
voured, and, being well pleased with the repast, determined not to allow any 



m 



THE STORY OF THE ELBPMAMT. 



person to pass either way, who did not provide him with a similar banquet. 
The pass formed one of the principal thoroughfares tO' the capital, and the 
elephant, taking up a formidable position at the entrance, obliged every pas- 
senger to pay tribute. It soon became generally known that a donation of 
jaggery would insure a safe conduct through the guarded portal, and no one 
presumed to attempt the passage without the expected offering. 

No animal is more ferociously destructive than an infuriated elephant; 




SCENES IN AN ELEPHANT S LIFE. 



even in the domesticated state, they are known to be gratified with carnage, 
and hence they have been frequently employed as executioners by the despots 
of the East. One of the Epirote elephants, furious from pain, shook off his 
driver, and rushing back upon the phalanx which Pyrrhus had formed with 
closer ranks than usual, crushed and destroyed a great number of soldiers be- 
fore any remedy could be found for such a disaster. 

On a previous occasion the delight of the elephant in carnage had been 



I 



THE STORY OF THE ELEPHANT. 



163 



fearfully demonstrated. Before the body of Alexandria was laid in the tomb, 
three hundred of his bravest companions were crushed to death by elephants, 
in the presence of the entire army, by command of the regent Perdiccas. 

An elephant, with a good driver, gives, perhaps, the best instance of dis- 
ciplined courage to be seen in the animal world. Elephants will submit, day 
after day, to have painful wounds dressed in obedience to their keepers, and 
meet, danger in obedience to their orders, though their intelligence is suf- 



WM^, 






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P 


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c^ 


^v^". - , wr 


C^r 


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<l 


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ONE OF MR. Seymour's hunting elephants. 



ficient to understand the peril, and far too great for man to trick them into 
a belief that there is no risk. No animal will face danger more readily at 
man's bidding. As an example, it is told that a small female elephant was 
charged by a buffalo, in high grass, and her rider in the hurry of the mo- 
ment, and perhaps owing to the sudden stoppage of the elephant, fired an 
explosive shell from his rifle, not into the buffalo, but into the elephant's 
shoulder. The wound Was so severe, that it had not healed a year laten 



164 THE STORY OF THE ELEPHANT, 

Yet the elephant stood firm, although it was gored by the buffalo, which was 
then killed by another gun. 

In case of wounds or injuries the elephant has an immense advantage over 
all other animals, in the use of its trunk for dressing wounds. It is at once 
a syringe, a powdering-puff and a hand. Water, mud, and dust are the 
main "applications" used, though it sometimes covers a sun-scorched back 
with grass or leaves. Wounded elephants have marvelous power of recovery 
when in their wild state, although they have no gifts of surgical knowledge, 
their simple system being confined tO' plastering their wounds with mud, or 
blowing dust upon the surface. Dust and mud comprise the entire stock of 
medicines of the elephant, and this is applied upon the most trivial, as well 
as upon the most serious occasions. I have seen them when in a tank plaster 
up a bullet wound with mud taken from the bottom. 

The African elephant is more O'f a tree- feeder than the Indian, and the 
destruction committed by a large herd of such animals when feeding in a 
mimosa-forest is. extraordinary ; they deliberately march forward, and uproot 
or break down every tree that excites their appetite. The mimosas are gen- 
erally from sixteen to twenty feet high, and, having no tap'-root, they are 
easily overturned by the tusks of the elephants, which are driven like crowbars 
beneath the roots, and used as levers, in which rough labor they are frequently 
broken. Upon the overthrow of a tree, the elephants eat the roots and leaves, 
and strip the bark from the branches by grasping them with their rough trunks. 
Two elephants may sometimes unite their strength in order tO' overthrow a 
tree of more than ordinary size. In South-Eastern Africa I have seen large 
areas of sandy soil ploughed up by the tusks of these animals in their search 
for roots. 

In digging the elephant always uses one particular tusk, which, in conse- 
quence, is much more worn than the other. , It is nearly always the right 
tusk which is selected for this duty; and the one sO' used is termed by the 
Sudanis the hadam, or servant. 

In Southern Africa, at least, elephants drink almost every night, but only 
rarely during the day. In that part of the continent they seek the deepest 
shades of the forest during the heat of the day, and generally appear toi sleep 
in a standing posture. 




STORY OF THE LEOPARD. 



Some years ago a couple of leopards, which lived in England, afforded 
a strong proof of the innate individuality of these animals. One of them, 
a male, was always sulky and unamiable, and never would respond to offered 
kindnesses. The female, on the contrary, was most docile and affectionate, 
eagerly seeking for the kind words and caresses of her keeper. She was 
extremely playful, as is the wont of most leopards, and was in the habit 
of indulging in an amusement which is generally supposed to be the specialty 
of the monkey tribe. Nothing pleased her so well as to lay her claws on 
some article of dress belonging to her visitors, to drag it through the 
bars of her cage, and to tear it in pieces. Scarcely a day passed that this 
amusingly mischievous animal did not entirely destroy a hat, bonnet or 
parasol, or perhaps protrude a rapid paw and claw off a large piece of a 
lady's dress. 

The cubs of the leopard are pretty, graceful little creatures, with short 
pointed tails, and spots of a fainter tint than those of the adult animal. 
Their number is from one to five. Even in captivity the leopard is a most 
playful animal, especially if in the society of companions of its own race. 

The beautiful spotted creatures sport with each other just like so many 
kittens, making, with their wild, graceful springs, sudden attacks upon one 
companion, or escaping from the assaults of another, rolling over on their 

165 



166 



THE STORY OF THE LEOPARD. 



backs, and striking playfully at each other, and every now and then unitinp^ 
in a general skirmishing chase over their limited domains. Even when thev 
are caged together with lions and tigers, their playfulness does not desert 
them, and they treat their enormous companions with amusing coolness. 

The third in point of size of the Old World cats is the leopard, or 
panther, a species closely allied to the lion and tiger, from whom it is at 
once distinguished by its color marks and inferior dimensions. Two species 
of large spotted cats are recognized as inhabiting Africa and India, to 




LEOPARDS IN THE JUNGLE. 



the smaller of which the name leopard is restricted, while the larger is 
known as the panther. Although there is an enormous amount of differ- 
ence between the smallest and the largest of such spotted cats in point of 
size, yet I find that the change from the one to the other is so gradual 
and complete that, in a large series of specimens, it is quite impossible to 
say where leopards end and panthers begin. Hence it appears to me that 
there is but a single species, for which the name leopard should be adopted. 
The spotted coat of the leopard being its most distinctive feature, the 



1 



THE STORY OF THE LEOPARD. 



1G7 



animal (in common with the hunting-leopard) is known to the natives of 
India as the chita, meaning spotted; the leopard, on account of its larger 
size, being- often distinguished as the chita-bagh, or spotted tiger. I have 
made a careful study of the two animals, and have concluded that they are 
of the same species. They are as close kin as are the Jersey and Shorthorn 
or Durham cows. 

The difTerences in the size of individual leopards is so great that while 




A PERSIAN LEOPARD AND ITS HABITS, 



in the smallest examples the total length of the head, body and tail does not 
exceed five feet, in the largest it reaches to as much as eight feet. In a large 
male, of which the total length was seven feet eleven inches, the head and 
body measured four feet nine inches, and the tail three feet tw^o inches. 

The leopard is one of the three larger cats which are common to India 
and Africa, the other twO' being the lion and the hunting-leopard. The 
distribution of the leopard is, however, more extensive than that of the 
lion, embracing nearly the whole of Asia, from Persia to Japan, but not 
extending as far north as^ Siberia, 



168 THE STORY OF THE LEOPARD. 

Next to the tiger in India, and to the lion in Africa, the leopard is the 
most formidable flesh-eating animal to be found in either country. In its 
habits it differs essentially from both the lion and the tiger in that it is 
thoroughly at home in trees, nmning up a. straight-stemmed and smooth- 
barked trunk with the speed and agility of a monkey. Moreover, the leop- 
ard is a much more active animal than the tiger, frequently taking tremen- 
dous leaps and springs. The Indian leopard, although its powers of ofifense 
are far inferior to those of the tiger, is in some respects a more dangerous 
animal, as it is roused with less provocation, and is more 'courageous in 
attacking those who disturb its repose. The favorite resorts of the Indian 
leopard are rocky hills covered with scrub, among' which it seeks secure 
hiding in caves and under overhanging masses of rock. From strongholds 
such as these the leopard in Southern and Central India watch the sur- 
rounding country towards sunset, and descend with astonishing celerity and 
stealth, under cover of the rocks, to cut off any straggling- animal among 
the herds or flocks on their return to the village at nightfall. From their 
habit of lurking in the vicinity of the habitations of man, to prey upon cattle, 
ponies, donkeys, sheep, goats, and dogs, leopards are frequently brought 
into collision with Indian villagers; and a leopard being mobbed in a garden, 
or field of sugar-cane or standing corn, from which he will charge several 
times, and bite and claw half a dozen before he is despatched or makes his 
escape, is no uncommon occurrence in India, 

This partiality of the leopard for dogs seems to be characteristic of the 
animal from one end of India to the other, and there are many instances on 
record where leopards in the hill-stations have swooped down in broad day- 
light and carried off pet dogs from before the very eyes of their European 
masters or mistresses. It is but rarely that leopards take to man-eating, but 
instances do occur, one of which came under my notice some years ago. 
when a leopard carried ofT a considerable number of persons from a village in 
Kashmir. In Africa the general habits of the leopard appear to be very 
much the same as in India, Sir Samuel Baker relating how, on one occasion, 
a dog was carried ofT from the very middle of his camp by one of these 
marauders. 

The leopard has often been tamed, and, indeed, almost domesticated, 
being permitted to range the house at will, greatly to the consternation of 
strange visitors. This complete state of docility can, however, only take 
place in an animal which has either been born in captivity, or taken at so 
early an age that its savage propensities have never had time to expand. 



THE SrORY OF THE LEOPARD. 



169 



Even in this case the disposition of the creature must be naturally good, or 
it remains proof against kindness and attention, never losing a surliness of 
temper that makes its liberation too perilous an experiment. The very same 
treatment by the same people will have a marvelously different effect on two 
different animals, though they be of the same species, or even the offspring 
of the same parents. 

The snow-leopard inhabits the elevated regions of Central Asia. In 
Ladak it does not descend below the level of some nine thousand feet above 




A PAIR OF CHITAS OR HUNTING LEOPARDS. 



the sea-level in winter, while in summer it ranges to a height of eighteen 
thousand feet and upwards. Its long and thick fur is specially adapted to 
protect the animal against the severe winter cold of the regions it inhabits. 
The beauty of the fur of a snow-leopard killed during the winter is unri- 
valed. The animal is probably found all over Thibet, but how far to the 
westward of Gilgit it extends is at present unknown. It has, indeed, been 
reported from Persia and Armenia. 

Our knowledge of the habits of the snow-leopard is at present but lim- 
ited, since comparatively few have seen the animal in its wild state. From 



no 



THE STORY OF THE LEOPARD. 



living in a practically treeless country, it is probable that it is unable to 
climb. It preys chiefly upon wild sheep, and goats, and marmots, and other 
rodents; it wages war upon domestic sheep and goats when grazing upon 
the higher grounds; and it will likewise, it is said, occasionally attack 
ponies. It is reported never to molest man. 

The hunting-leopard is another representative of the cat family, and dif- 
fers so markedly in certain respects from all the others that it is now gen- 



iiiiiiiiiiiiniii 



i'ii|||iii'iiiii'i"iiiii|inMiiii|iir!inii'iiiiinii 




m 



A YOUNG HUNTING LEOPARD. 



erally admitted to rank as a distinct breed. It is generally known to Euro- 
peans as the chita. 

The hunting-leopard is distinguished by the slenderness of its body, and 
the great relative strength of its limbs, which are longer than in any of the 
true cats, not even excepting the lynxes. In length of body it may be com- 
pared with the true leopard, although it stands much higher on the legs. 




STORY OF THE REINDEER. 



The most enjoyable sleigh ride I ever took was behind a pair of reindeer. 
After that trip of nearly four hundred miles I could readily understand why 
Santa Claus selected the reindeer to carry him on his annual gift-making 
tour. The reindeer is a rapid, sure-footed traveler, and is guided as easily 
as one would guide a well-trained horse. 

My companion on this trip was a Laplander, or a Lap, as we commonly 
call the inhabitants of Lapland. He was a well-to-do little fellow who lived 
ni comfort, for he had a large herd of reindeer. The wealth of a Lap does 
not depend on the amount of money or land in his possession, but upon 
the number of de,er he owns. If he owns from four to six hundred head 
he is rich; from two hundred to three hundred he is in comfortable circum- 
stances; if he possesses only one hundred he leads a hand-to-mouth exist- 
ence; if he has but fifty head, he is obliged to join his animals with the herd 
of a richer man in order to make a living. The reindeer serves the Lap 
as a beast of burden and supplies him with food and clothing. 

From the nature of the country it inhabits, the reindeer is compelled 
to lead a migratory life, in which the natives, who have to depend entirely 
for their subsistence on the animal, have to participate. Troops of them 
during the winter months reside in the woods, feeding on the lichens that 
hang from the boughs of the trees, as well as on those that grow upon the 

171 



172 



THE STORY OF THE REINDEER. 



ground beneath. In the spring they repair to the mountains in order to 
escape the swarms of stinging gnats and gad-flies which infest the air, and 
inflict wounds in the skin of great severity. In the fall they return to the 
forests. 

I have witnessed several of these migrations of the undomesticated rein- 
deer. On one occasion, in Eastern Siberia, two large migrating bodies 
of reindeer passed at no great distance. They were descending the hills 
from the northwest, and crossing the plain on their way to the forests, wdiere 
they spend the winter. Both bodies of deer extended farther than the eye 




A REINDEER OF LAPLAND IN MID-WINTER 



could reach, and formed a compact mass narrowing to the front. They 
moved slowdy and majestically along, their broad antlers resembling a mov- 
ing wood of leafless trees. Each body was led by a deer of unusual size, 
which my guides assured me was always a female. 

The reindeer is distinguished from all other members of the deer family 
by the fact that both sexes have antlers which grow out of the top of the 
head instead of the forehead. The muzzle of the reindeer differs from that 
of all the deer hitherto mentioned in being clothed with soft hairs of mod- 



THE STORY OF THE REINDEER. 



n3 




REINDEER PHOTOGRAPHED IN THE FOREST. 



erate length. The neck has no distinct mane, but the throat is fringed 
with long and rather stiff hair. The ears are smaller than in any other deer, 
and thickly covered" on both sides with hair. The hair clothing the body 



\U. THE STORY OP TUB REINDEER. 

is from an inch to an inch gnd a half in length, and is somewhat crimped 
or waved, while beneath this is a coat of woolly under-fur. The general 
color of the reindeer is brownish-gray, with the face, neck and throat whitish, 
and the nose, ears and limbs brown. There are, however, great individual 
variations as regards color, some specimens being nearly or quite white 
throughout. In general the tail is white, with a tinge of brown at the root 
and on the upper surface; and there is a distinct white ring around each 
fetlock. 

The various races of reindeer differ considerably from one another in 
respect of height; but the bucks of the larger American variety stand about 
4.i feet at the withers, and usually weigh some 350 pounds, although un- 
usually fine specimens may reach nearly 400 pounds. In regard to the 
length of the antlers, it appears that fine examples vary from 48 to over 
57 inches, although one pair is known in which the length reaches to 
upwards of 60 inches. There is great variation in regard to the span oi 
antlers and the number of points they carry, w'hile it is not unfrequently the 
case that the longest specimens have by no means the greatest girth. 

At the present day reindeer are unknown in the Old World below the 
southern shore of the Baltic; it appears, however, that in the time of Csesar 
they were met with in the Black Forest of Northern Germany, although 
whether as permanent residents or as winter immigrants, cannot, of course, 
be now ascertained. In the British Isles, remains of reindeer are commonly 
met with in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and it was long considered that 
in Caithness this deer survived till the middle of the twelfth century, although 
the latest reseaches tend to disprove this idea. Reindeer remains are also 
found over the Continent, as far south as the valleys of the Dordogne and 
Garonne in France. 

Reindeer inhabit the northern regions of both the Eastern and Western 
Hemispheres, and there is but a single species. 




THE STORY OF THE COYOTE. 



The coyote has been well-named by a western writer, "the lean, gray 
vagrant of the plains." This animal is considerably smaller than the com- 
mon wolf, from which it is also distinguished by its thicker and longer fur 
and more bushy tail. 

The coyote ranges from the south of Costa Rica, in Central America, to 
the lower portions of Hudson's Bay. It is still abundant in Texas, Northern 
Mexico', and the western prairies of the United States, but is rare in Guate- 
mala; and it has been suggested that it is but a comparatively recent immi- 
grant into Central America. 

The coyote is more generally in the habit of burrowing in the ground 
than the common wolf; it is also far less savage and destructive, and becomes 
more docile and gentle in captivity. Like the common wolf, it will on occa- 
sions hunt in packs; and it is at least as noisy an animal, although the tone 
of its howl is quite different. As regards food, it appears to be almost om- 
nivorous; and, when an animal diet is unattainable, it will feed upon juniper- 
berries, or the prickly pear. Rabbits, rats, young birds, etc., form, however, 
its staple diet ; and it does not appear that it ever attacks the larger mammals, 
although, when wounded and brought tO' bay, it will defend itself fiercely. 
In speed it is far inferior to the wolf, and it can be readily overtaken by a 
good horse. The cubs are born in May and June; the number in a litter us- 
ually being five or six, but occasionally ten. 

175 



176 THE STORY OF THE COYOTE. 

On account of the length of its fur, the coyote appears to be a thicker 
built and shorter-legged animal than it really is. The color varies consider- 
ably at different seasons of the year, being a bright brown in summer, and 
gray or grayish in winter; this ground-color at both seasons being overlaid 
with a shading of black, which tends to form stripes along the back and across 
the shoulders and loins. The under-parts are of a dirty white tint; while the 
upper portion of the muzzle, and the outsides of the ears and legs are gen- 
erally tan color. 

To the hunter or emigrant encamped upon the prairie, the coyote is a 
positive nuisance. By instinct it is a thief and a coward. It will hang around 
a camp and watch every opportunity tO' steal a meal. Sometimes the gnaw- 




A COYOTE OF THE WESTERN AMERICAN PRAIRIES. 



ings of hunger will give it enough courage toi sneak into a tent and seize any 
morsel of food that may be left exposed. Having devoured this it will take a 
position a few hundred yards away, squatting on its haunches and licking its 
chops, waiting for another chance, but always prepared tO' run if a camper 
picks up a stone or stick toi throw at it. 

It is at night, however, that the coyote makes itself a nuisance. Its voice is 
far fromi musical, but loud and high. It keeps up an almost incessant yelping, 
driving sleep from the eyes o^f the tired camper. TwO' or three coyotes yelping 
in chorus will make enough noise to convince a person who hears them for the 
first time that there are fifty or sixty in the pack. 



THE STORY OF THE COYOTE. 



17? 



When a hunter's patience has been exhausted by their night yelping, he 
will sometimes take his gun and steal out for a shot at them. If he succeeds 
in shooting one of them, the others will pounce upon the wounded animal, 
drag' him down and devour him. 

One good dog is a match for several coyotes, and if the animal has been 
trained to fight them, it can put a pack of them tO' flight. 




A MEXICAN COYOTE. 



But so many dogs of the western prairie are inbred with wolves and 
coyotes, that they will often associate together on the most friendly terms. 
The association is usually bad for the dog, as there have been numerous cases 
where dogs have deserted their masters to take up a roving and precarious 
existence with coyotes. 



It8 THB STORY OF THE COYOTE. 

The shepherds of the prairies and mesas in the southwestern sections of the 
United States are greatly harassed by coyotes, especiahy in the lambing 
season. The coyote is fond oi lamb, and the younger and tenderer it is the 
better he likes it. The old rams and the goats that accompany every herd of 
sheep are more than a match for the coyote, but the lambs and sometimes the 
young ewes fall easy victims to^ his claws and fangs. 

In the days wdien the Western prairies were black wdth herds of buffaloes, 
the coyotes were always found in great numbers on the outskirts of the herd, 
waiting for a chance to attack some old and decrepit animal driven out by 
the young bulls. They would follow a weak, old buffalo for days, and when 
his strength failed him, so that he was no longer able to defend himself, they 
would rush upon him in large numbers, some at his throat, others at his 
heels, and pull him down, literally eating him alive. 

The coyote is not as shrewd as the wolf in detecting and avoiding poison 
bait, and Western ranchmen have rid the country of thousands of them by 
poisoning the carcasses of dead animals. 

The Mexican coyote has longer legs, a more slender form, and a more 
fox-like head than its northern cousin, but in habits and instinct they are the 
same. 

I have witnessed many an exciting chase by coyotes after a Jack-rabbit. 
One that I remember was when I was in the hot, dry section of Southern Col- 
orado, where the blazing sun had shriveled the vegetation in the daytime and 
where no dew falls to revive it at night. I had been in camp several hours and 
was lying in front of my tent watching the big full moon, which in that rarified 
atmosphere looks twice as big and twice as high as it does in the Eastern States, 
when I heard the shrill yelp of a coyote, followed by another and then several 
others. I arose and got my rifle, and just as I came out of my tent a Jack- 
rabbit ran past within fifty yards of me, pursued by seven coyotes. The rabbit 
could have outrun them on a straight line, but they practically had it sur- 
rounded when I saw them, and in two hundred yards more they closed in on 
bunny. Inside of two minutes they had torn him to pieces and were fighting 
among themselves. I avenged the rabbit by shooting two of them before they 
scampered off. 




STORY OF THE WILD SHEEP. 



Vice-President Roosevelt simply stated a fact known to all Western 
hunters when he described the difficulties attending a successful pursuit of 
the Rocky Mountain sheep, or "big horn," as they are generally known. 
Din-ing Mr. Roosevelt's various outing excursions he took a keen delight in 
hunting this wary animal, but frequently he was compelled to acknowledge 
defeat. In the spring and summer the full-grown rams form separate bands 
of from three to twenty, and are usually found feeding along the edges of 
glacier-meadows, or resting among castle-like crags of the high summits ; and 
whether quietly feeding, or scaling the wild cliffs for pleasure, their noble 
forms, and the power and beauty of their movements, never fail to strike 
the beholder with lively admiration. Their resting-place seems to be chosen 
with reference to sunshine and a wide outlook, and most of all to safety 
from the attacks of wolves. Flocks of these sheep have, on more than one 
occasion, been known to leap down a precipice one hundred and fifty feet 
in height. 

They frequent the elevated and craggy ridges with which the country 
between the great mountain range and the Pacific is intersected; but they 
dO' not appear to have advanced farther to the eastward than the declivity 
of the Rocky Mountains. 

Their favorite feeding-places are grassy knolls, skirted by craggy rocks, 

I7Q 



180 THE STORY OF THE WILD SHEEP. 

to which they can retreat when followed by dogs or wolves. They are 
accustomed to pay daily visits to certain caves in the slaty rocks that are 
encrusted with a salty growth, of which they are fond. The flesh of this 
sheep is quite delicious when it is in season. 

Although the "big horn" was numerous throughout an immense region 
a few decades ago, the advance of the white man has served to diminish 
their numbers, and, like the buffalo, the animal will soon be extinct unless 
the Government gives it protection. These sheep have been seen on the 
summits of the highest peaks in the United States, and their agility in 
crossing crags and glaciers is marvelous. 

I shot a ram in Wyoming several years ago which stood four feet in 
height at the withers, weighed over four hundred pounds, and whose horns, 
measured along the curve, were forty-two- inches in length. The ewes stand 
about three feet in height. 

The magnificent wild sheep of Mongoilia is known as the argali, and is 
as large as a full grown donkey. A closely allied species is found in Thibet. 
Both of these have many points of similarity with the "big horn." 

The Pamir sheep takes its name from inhabiting the elevated district 
in Central Asia known as the Pamirs, or "Roof of the World." It is also 
found on the table-lands to the westward and northward of Eastern 
Turkestan. 

The Pamir sheep, although furnished with longer horns, does not appear 
to attain quite such large dimensions as the Thibetan argali, from which it 
is mainly distinguished by the form of the horns, and also by color. In the 
male the horns, when viewed from the side, are seen to form a spiral of 
about a circle and a quarter; and when adult they are much longer than 
those of the argali, but are less massive at the base. In fine specimens I 
measured, the horns attained a length of from sixty to seventy inches along 
the curve, with a girth at the base of about fifteen inches. One specimen had 
the remarkable length of eighty-two inches, with a girth of eighteen inches. 

The European member of this family is known as the mouflon, and 
formerly was found in all parts of continental Europe. In recent years the 
animal has become extinct except in Sardinia and Corsica. The mouflon 
is much smaller than the other species, rarely measuring more than thirty 
inches at the withers. 

In Sardinia the mouflon, instead of being found on all the mountain 
ranges, are restricted to certain chains, and there they frequent only the 
highest ridges, generally confining themselves to such peaks as command 



THE STORY OF THE WILD SHEEP. 



181 



a view of the whole of the surrounding country. The flocks of mouflon 
are led by an old and powerful ram; but at the pairing-season the large flocks 
used to split up into small parties, consisting of one ram and several ewes. 
The rams engage in fierce conflicts among themselves for the supremacy; 
and during the months of December and January the mountains re-echo 
with the sound of the blows as one ram rushes against the head of another. 
The Sardinian moufloii is one of the most difiicult animals to approach wdth 




A MOUFLON FAMILY. 



which I am acquainted. When they are alarmed, or at "gaze," they have 
a habit, or at least the rams have, of placing themselves in the middle of a 
bush, or in the shadow which it casts. The ewes, which are naturally less 
conspicuous, do this in a less degree. The mouflon are assisted by the 
wonderful alertness of their eyes. One of their favorite devices is to seek 
for spots on the lee-side of ^ ridge wher? th? currents of ^jr meet, liere, 



182 



THE SrORY OF THE WILD SHEEP. 



and in otherwise favorable positions, they are quite unapproachable. Occa- 
sionally wild mouflon will desert their own kin to live among tame sheep; 
while sometimes also a motherless domestic lamb has been known to seek 
companionship among a flock of mouflon. 

In conformity with its structure, the bharal of Thibet is intermediate 
in its habits between the sheep and the goats. Like the former, it is found 




A MOUFLON OF SARDINIA. 



on undulating ground, and frequently lies down during the day on its 
feeding-ground, though generally amongst stones; but, like the latter, it is 
a splendid climber, perfectly at home on precipitous cliffs, and when alarmed 
takes refuge in ground inaccessible tO' man. It is found in herds of from 
eight or ten to fifty or even a hundred; the males and females being generally 



THE STORY OF THE WILD SHEEP. 



183 



found apart in the summer, but frequently associating together at all seasons. 
The herds keep to high, open ground above forest, and never even enter 
bush. They feed and rest alternately during the day. O'wing to their color 
it is peculiarly difificult to make them out when they are lying down amongst 
stones. It appears that these animals are never found below an elevation 
of ten thousand feet above the sea-level, while in summer they range up 
to fourteen thousand and sixteen thousand feet. Bharal are by no means 
difficult of approach in districts where they have not been much disturbed, 




"big horns" of the rocky mountains. 



and on one occasion in Ladak I came suddenly upon a flock of five rams 
lying asleep in an unfrequented path. 

The Barbary, or maned sheep, which is the only wild representative of 
the group met with in Africa, while agreeing with the bharal in the general 
character of its horns and skull, is distinguished by the great mass of long 
hair clothing the throat, chest, and fore-limbs, and likewise by the great 
length of the thickly-'haired tail, which reaches slightly below the hocks, 



184 



THE STORY OF THE WILD SHEEP. 



The Barbary sheep attains a height of rather over three feet, and is of a 
nearly uniform pale yehow color. 

The Arabs are in the habit of pitching" their tents near the scanty springs 
frequented by these sheep, and daily lead their goats high up the mountains. 
Consequently, the animals have no means of escaping from them, as every 



I 




BARBARY, OR MANED SHEEP. 



mountain within reach of water is similarly infested. They are constantly 
within sight and hearing of the Arabs and their goats, and as they cannot get 
away they have developed the art of Hding themselves to an extraordinary 
extent, and they have unlimited confidence in their own invisibility. 




STORY OF THE MUNGOOSP:. 



To my mind the best all-around rough-and-ready fighter, of his size, 
in the animal kingdom is the mungoose. In India this little creature de- 
lights in nothing so much as to meet a cobra, the most deadly of all snakes. 

The mungoose is about the size of a cat. It lies in wait for its hered- 
itary enemy, or rather victim, for the fight always has one ending, and 
when the serpent comes into range attacks with a desperation born of the 
knowledge of the cobra's venomous bite. His mode of attack is to tease 
the snake into darting at him, when with inconceivable rapidity he pounces 
on the reptile's head. 

Much has been written as to the combats of both the Egyptian and the 
Indian mungoose with venomous snakes, and also as to the alleged immu- 
nity of these animals from snake poison. The prevalent belief throughout 
oriental countries is that the mungoose, wdien bitten, seeks for an antidote, 
a lierb or root known in India as manguswail. It is scarcely necessary to 
say that the story is destitute of foundation. There is, however, another 
view, supported by some evidence, that the mungoose is less susceptible to 
snake poison than other animals. I have not seen many combats, but, so 
far as 1 can judge from the few I have witnessed, the mungoose escaped 

185 



186 



THE STORY OF THE MUNGOOSE. 



being bitten by his wonderful activity. He appears to wait till the snake 
makes a dart at him, and then suddenly pounces upon the reptile's head 
and crunches it to pieces. I have seen a mungoose eat up the head and 
poison glands of a large cobra, so the poison must be harmless to the 
mucous membrane of the former animal. When excited, the mungoose 
erects its long stiff hair, and it must be very difficult for a snake to drive 
its fangs through this ami through the thick skin which all kinds of mun- 




HOW THE MUNGOOSE FIGHTS. 

(Killing a Cobra and attacking a Great Bustard.) 



gooses possess. In all probability a mungoose is very rarely scratched by 
the fangs, and, if he is, very little poison can be injected. It has been 
repeatedly proved by experiments that a mungoose can be killed, like any 
other animal, if properly bitten by a venomous snake, though even in this 
case the effects appear to be produced after a longer period than with other 
inammals of the same size. 

In addition to bein^ a benefactor to the human race as a destroyer ot 



THE STORY OF THE MUNGOOSE. 



187 



poisonous snakes, the Indian mungoose (like its Egyptian cousin) is equally 
valuable as an exterminator of rats, ships having more than once been 
cleared of those pests in a comparatively short period by the introduction 
of a mungoose. About twenty years ago the sugar-planting industry in 
Jamaica was threatened with annihilation from the damage inflicted on the 
canes by a particular species of rat, which absolutely swarmed in the island. 
After ferrets, toads and ants had been tried with more or less ill-success 
to stay the plague, the Indian mungoose was introduced. In the spring 
of 1872 nine of these animals were imported and let loose in the island. 




INDIAN MUNGOOSES. 



Within a few months young ones were seen about, and in less than six 
months there was evidence, clear and certain, that the rats were much less 
destructive than they had ever been known. Fewer rats were caught and 
fewer canes were destroyed, month after month. Within tw^o years the 
expenditure in killing rats ceased almost entirely, and in another year the 
planters enjoyed relief and immunity; and ever since the losses from rats 
have been a mere trifle. Within a very short time neighboring islands 
found a similar benefit. The mungoose has been subsequently introduced, 
vvith equally satisfactj:)ry results, into Cuba, and America's new possession, 
Porto Rico. 



188 THE STORY OF THE MUNGOOSE. 

The miingoose is easily tamed and in India is kept for the purpose of 
driving the cobra from the residences of the weahhy inhabitants. Snake- 
charmers carry the animal about with them. I at one time owned one 
which always accompanied me in my hunting trips. Whenever I shot birds 
the little fellow would stand on his hind legs when he saw me present the 
gun, and run for the bird when it fell. He had, however, no notion of 
retrieving, but would scamper off with his prey to devour it at leisure. He 
was a most fearless little fellow, and once attacked a big greyhound, who 
beat a retreat. In a rage his body would swell to nearly twice its size, from 
the erection of the hair; yet I had him under such perfect subjection that 
I had only to hold up my finger to him when he was about to attack any- 
thing, and he would desist. I heard a great noise one day outside my 
room, and found "Pips" attacking a fine male specimen I had of the great 
bustard, which he had just seized by the throat. I rescued the bird, but 
it died of its injuries. Through the carelessness of my servants he was lost 
one day in a heavy brushwood jungle some miles from my camp, and I 
c[uite gave up all hope of recovering my pet. Next day, however, in track- 
ing some antelope, we happened to cross the route taken by my servants, 
when we heard a familiar little yelp, and down from a tree we were under 
rushed "Pips." 

The true mungooses have long, weasel-like bodies, and a- more or less 
elongated tail, which is generally thick at the root, and may be covered with 
long hair, its general color being like that of the body, but the tip often 
darker. The longer hairs of almost all the mungooses are marked with 
alternate darker and lighter rings, which communicate a peculiar and char- 
acteristic speckled appearance to the fur. The head has a pointed muzzle, 
with a rather short nose, in which there is a groove on the completely naked 
under surface. The ears are small and rounded. The limbs are likewise 
of extreme shortness, the feet being provided with five toes, of which the 
first, both in front and behind, is extremely small. These toes are gener- 
ally detached, but may be slightly connected by a small web at their bases. 
The under surfaces of the fore feet are generally naked, while in most cases 
only the front part of the soles of the hind feet are free from hair. 

The meerkat, as the South African mungoose is known, is a small animal 
of slender form, with a tail of about half the length of the head and body. 
The fur is long and soft, of a light grizzled gray color, with black transverse 
stripes across the hinder part of the back, and the tail yellowish, with a black 
tip. The longer hairs are broadly ringed with black and white, the white 



THE STORY OF THE MUNGOOSE. 



189 



predominating. The transverse light and dark bands on the loins are 
formed by the regular arrangement of the hairs, by which the white and 
black rings come opposite to each other on adjacent hairs. Meerkats may 
be distinguished at a glance from all other mungooses by their elongated 
nose and claws, as well as by their peculiar coloration, no other species 
having ears differing in color from the rest of the head. 

South African meerkats appear to be confined to Cape Colony, extend- 
ing at least as far north as Algoa Bay. These animals form most admirable 




SOUTH AFRICAN MUNGOOSES OR MEERKATS. 



and amusing little pets, nearly every homestead having one or more of these 
creatures. In their w41d state the meerkats live in colonies or warrens, 
burrowing deep holes in the sandy soil, and feeding chiefly on succulent 
bulbs which they scratch up with the long, curved black claws on their 
fore feet. They are devoted sun-worshippers, and in the early morning, 
before it is daylight, they emerge from their burrows, and wait in rows till 
their divinity appears, when they bask joyfully in his beams. They are very 
numerous on the arru, and, as you ride or drive along through the veldt, 
you often come upon little colonies of them sitting up sunning themselves, 



190 THR STORY OP THE MVMCOOSE. 

and looking, in their quaint and pretty favorite attitude, like tiny dogs beg- 
ging. As you approach they look at you fearlessly and impudently, allow- 
ing you to come quite close; then, when their confiding manner has tempted 
you to get down in the wild hope of catching one of them, suddenly all pop 
so swiftly into their little holes that they seem to have disappeared by magic. 

Although in the Cape it appears that the name meerkat is also often 
applied tO' the thick-tajled mungoose, it is the true meerkat alone which 
makes such a charming pet. The quaint, old-fashioned little fellow is as 
neatly made as a small bird; his coat, of the softest fur, with markings not 
unlike those of a tabby cat, is always well kept and spotlessly clean; his tiny 
feet, ears and nose are all most daintily and delicately finished off, and the 
broad circle of black bordering his large dark eye serves to enhance the size 
and brilliancy of the orbs. 

The most typical representative of the mungoose family is the Egyptian 
mungoose or ichneumon, inhabiting Africa, north of the Sahara Desert, 
Palestine, Asia Minor, and the southern portions of Spain. It was one of I 

the sacred animals of the ancient Egyptians, and is often depicted on their 
frescoes. It feeds largely upon the eggs of crocodiles, although this habit 
has not been recorded of any of the Indian species. It was, and I beheve 
still is, domesticated in Egypt; and has the same antipathy to snakes alluded 
to under the head of the common Indian species. The Egyptian mungoose 
is a large species; the length of the head and body being about twenty 
inches. ^ 




THE STORY OF THE ZEBRA. 



My first introduction to the zebra in his wild state was in the hilly 
country of Eastern Africa. The native hunters of my party wanted some 
zebra meat, of which they are extremely fond on account of the large 
amount of yellow fat it contains. 

Saddling- our best horses, we made an early start. It was ten o'clock, 
however, before we came in sight of our quarry. The herd comprised about 
fifty head and was grazing among a mixed herd of antelope and wild goats. 
A large antelope had been posted as a sentinel and gave warning of our 
approach. The shrill whistle of the antelope blended with the peculiar 
neigh of the zebras, which is a mixture of donkey notes and the subdued 
whining of a dog. 

They started for the higher ground and we followed. At first they ran 

in single file, the stallions ahead, but as we urged our horses faster and 

drew closer they ran more in a bunch. At last one of the natives got a 

shot at a fine young filly and put a bullet in her body near the shoulder. 

She dropped to her knees, but was up again in a flash, and at once obeyed 

a rule in force among these animals by separating from the herd and running 

off at right angles. The natives pursued her, overtook her and shot her 

down. 

191 



192 



THE STORY OF THE ZEBRA. 



That night they had a great feast. I tasted the zebra flesh, but found 
it unpalatable. I had shot two fine antelopes, and although I offered my 
men one of the carcasses, they declined it and ate the zebra instead. 

The alternating yellowish-white and brown-black stripes of the zebra, 
\\hich markings of the skin and hair are more pronounced than in any 
other of the wild animals, not excepting the tiger, give the name to the 
animal. Zebraed means banded, and the name is appropriate to the horse- 
tiger, as the zebra is sometimes called. The haunts of the animal in its 
natural state are among the mountainous and almost inaccessible regions of 




A FAMILY OF ZEBRAS. 



Southern and Eastern Africa. Shy by nature, and endowed with wonderful 
powers of sight, few zebras have been captured alive. The animal is rarely 
found alone, preferring to travel in large troops. 

The three known species of zebra, together with the quagga, form a 
group agreeing in essential character with the asses, but distinguished 
by their more or less completely striped heads and bodies. In both these 
groups the mane is erect, and the upper part of the tail is free from long 
hairs; while there are naked callosities on the fore limbs only, and the ears 



THE STORY OF THE ZEBRA. 



193 



are longer, the head relatively larger, and the hoofs narrower than in the 
horse. 

The true or mountain zebra is the typical representative of the striped 
group, and is essentially an inhabitant of hilly districts. It is the smallest 
of the three species, standing from 4 feet to 4 feet 2 inches (12 to 12^ hands) 
at the withers, and has relatively long ears and a comparatively short mane, 
with the tail but scantily haired. The general ground-color of the hair 



"3 





EAST AFRICAN ZEBRA. 

(Showing how it is hunted.) 

is white, while the stripes are black, and the lower part of the face is light 
brown. With the exception of the under parts of the body and the inner 
sides of the thighs, the whole of the head, body and limbs, as well as the 
upper part of the tail, are striped. 

All who have seen zebras in their native haunts speak of the beautiful 
appearance presented by a drove as they stand for a moment to gaze at the 
hunter, and then wheel round to seek safety in flight; and as they afford 



194 THE STORY OF THE ZEBRA. 

but unsatisfactory trophies, it seems a pity that so many are kihed for the 
mere sake of sport. When standing on sandy ground in full moonlight, a 
zebra harmonizes so exactly with the color of its surroundings as to be 
quite invisible at a short distance. 

It is very wild and suspicious, carefully placing sentinels, to look out 
for danger. Notwithstanding these precautions, several zebras have been 
taken alive, and some, in spite of their vicious habits, have been trained 
to draw a carriage. In all probability it might be domesticated like the 
ass, as the black cross on the back and shoulders of the latter animal prove 
the afiinity between them. In the Transvaal there are many teams made up 
parti}'- of zebras and partly of mules. 

The quagga, so far as color is concerned, forms a connecting link be- 
tween the zebras and the asses; but in its short ears, and the extent to which 
the tail is haired, approximates to the horse. In height it stands about the 
same as the true zebra; in color the upper parts are of a light reddish-brown, 
with the head, neck and front half of the body marked with irregular choco- 
late-brown stripes, gradually becoming fainter, until they are quite lost on 
the hind-quarters. There is a dark stripe running down the back on to the 
upper part of the tail; but the rest of the tail, together with the under-parts, 
the inner sides of the thighs, and the legs, are white. 

Its actual habitat may be precisely defined as within Cape Colony, the 
Orange Free State, and Griqualand West. I do not find that it ever ex- 
tended to Namaqualand and the Kalaharr Desert to the west, or beyond 
the Kei River, the ancient eastern limit of the Cape Colony to the east. 




THE STORY OF THE YAK. 



On the plateau of Thibet I hunted the long-haired yak some years ago. 
We reached the most inaccessible region of that wild country, rarely visited 
by white men, in the spring and spent a part of the summer there. During 
that period I frecjuently followed the yak and shot several large specimens 
of the animal. Its long hair, the longest on any animal, is its chief distin- 
guishing feature. Some of the bulls weighed 1,500 pounds. 

Yak inhabit the plateau of Thibet, probably extending northwards as far 
as the Kuen-Luen range, while eastwards they range into the Chinese 
province of Kansu, and westwards enter the eastern portions of Ladak, 
especially the regions" in the neighborhood of the Chang-Chenmo valley and 
the great Pangkong lake. The greater portion of the country comprised 
within this extensive area is desolate and dreary in the extreme, but yak 
confine themselves to the wildest and most inaccessible portions of these 
regions, and are found only at great elevations, ranging in summer from 
about fourteen thousand to upwards of twenty thousand feet, and perhaps 
even more, above the level of the sea. They are at all times extremely 
impatient of heat, and delight in cold. 

Although so large a beast, it thrives upon the coarsest pasturage, and 
its usual food consists of a rough wiry grass., which grows in all the higher 
valleys of Thibet, up 'to an elevation of nearly twenty thousand feet. Yak 
seem to wander about a good deal. In summer the cows are generally to 
be found in herds varying in numbers from ten to one hundred; while the 

195 



196 



THB STORY OF THE YAK. 



old bulls are for the most part solitary or in small parties of three or four. 
They feed at night and early in the morning, and usually betake themselves 
to some steep and barren hillside during the day, lying sometimes for hours 
in the same spot. Old bulls in particular seem to rejoice in choosing a com- 
manding situation for their resting-place, and their tracks may be found on 
the tops of the steepest hills, far above the highest traces of vegetation. The 
yak is not apparently a very sharp-sighted beast, but its sense of smell is 
extremely keen, and this is the chief danger to guard against in stalking 




A WHITE va: 



it. In the high valleys of Thibet, where so many glens intersect one another, 
and where the temperature is continually changing, the wind is equally 
variable. It will sometimes shift to every point of the compass in the course 
of a few minutes, and the best-planned stalk may be utterly spoiled. 

When alarmed or expecting danger, the cows and older bulls place them- 
selves in the van and on the flanks of the herds, with the calves in the 
center; but on the near approach of a hunter the whole herd will take to 



THE STORY OF THE YAK. 



197 



flight at a gallop, with their heads down and their tails in the air. A 
wounded yak, whether cow or bull, will not infrequently charge. 

The most distinctive peculiarity of the yak is the mass of long hair wath 
which the fianks, limbs and tail are clothed, and which makes the general 
appearance of the animal so very different from that of other oxen. On 
the head and upper-parts of the body the hair is short and nearly smooth, 
and the long hair only commences on the lower part of the sides where it 




BLACK AND WHITE YAK OF THIBET. 



forms a fringe of great depth, extending forwards across the shoulders and 
backwards onto the thighs. On the tail the long hair is developed on the 
lower half, where it expands into an enormous tuft which does not generally 
reach below the hocks. There is also a tuft of long hair on the breast. The 
color of the hair is a uniform dark blackish brown, sometimes tending to a 
rusty tint on the flanks and back, and with a gray grizzle on the upper part 



198 THE STORY OF THE YAK. 

of the head and neck in very old individuals. Around the muzzle there is a 
little white. We frequently find the yak represented as a brown and white, 
or even a pure wdiite animal, but all such specimens are domesticated, and 
mostly hybrid individuals. 

When I visited a Thibetan monastery I was struck with the number of 
yak-tails suspended as streamers from tall poles fixed in the ground before 
the entrance. The more general use of these appendages throughout the 
East is, however, in the form of fly-whisks. For this purpose pure white 
tails are preferred; and they are frequently mounted with the twisted horn 
of a black-buck as a handle. In China yak-tails dyed red are affixed to the 
roofs of the residences as pendants. 

Although the yak is timid and runs away at the approach of the hunter, 
I had a different experience with an old blackish bull yak that I wounded 
without killing. He charged at me with his head down, and was so close 
that I had little chance to run. I was in an open space, and there was not 
a tree in sight. Fortunately there was a large rock near by, and I ran 
behind it. The maddened yak dashed against the rock w'ith such violence 
that its skull was fractured and it fell dead from the terrific shock. 

There are many domesticated yaks in Central Asia. In some sections they 
are used at the plow, and can also be broken to ride, but they are usually vicious. 
Those used for riding are guided by the nose. In the summer the wild yaks 
shrink from the heat and make their homes on the loftiest plateaus of the 
mountains. 




STORY OF THE PRAIRIE DOG. 



"Yip, yip." 

As I heard this sound I turned my head and saw hundreds of small legs 
and whisking little tails disappearing in burrows. I was on the edge of a 
prairie dog town. The chief dog, or the "big dog," as he is called, which 
governs every prairie dog town, had seen me. Instantly he gave the signal oi 
alarm and all the inhabitants of the place dived intO' their burrows. 

I concealed myself behind a clump of brush and waited patiently. Pretty 
soon a little head appeared at the entrance of one of the burrows and took a 
quick survey of the surroundings. Having satisfied itself that all danger was 
past, the little animal gave a shrill whistle and one by one the prairie dogs 
came from their holes in the ground and seated themselves upon their hind legs 
on the little mounds of earth in front of their bin^rows. Lying flat on the 
ground I took deliberate aim at one of the dogs and fired. A little cloud of 
dust was raised as the dogs skurried into their homes. 

Nothing is more difficult than toi get possession of the body of a prairie 
dog after it has been shot, although the wound may be mortal. Even when a 
bullet is put straight through their heads they are more likely to tumble into 
their burrows than to fall outside of them. 

My shot went true. The bullet pierced the head of the little animal and it 
fell dead on the little mound of earth in front of its dwelling. Just as I was 
about to rise and secu're its body one of its companions that had scampered intO' 

199 



200 



THE STORY OF THE PRAIRIE DOG. 



its burrow at the sound of the rifle now reappeared, and seemingly reckless of 
all danger, seized the dead body and dragged it into the hole. Such an instance 
of intelligence and devotion touched me deeply, and from that day to this I 
have never shot a prairie dog. 

The prairie dog, as it is popularly called, is found in plenty along the course 
of the Missouri river, and throughout the great section of country known as 
the American Southwest and its tributaries. It congregates in vast numbers, 
in certain spots where the soil is favorable to^ its subterranean habits of life and 
the vegetation is sufficiently luxuriant to afford it nourishment. The color 




THE UNHAPPY FAMILY IN A PRAIRIE DOG BURROW. 



of this animal is a reddish-brown upon the back, mixed with gray and black in 
a rather vague manner. The length of the animal rather exceeds sixteen inches, 
the tail being a little more than three inches long. The cheek pouches are about 
three-quarters of an inch in depth, and are half that measurement in diameter. 
The prairie dog is a burrowing animal, and the spot on which it congregates 
is literally honeycombed with its tunnels. There is, however, a kind of order 
observed in the "dog-towns," as these warrens are popularly called, for the 
animals always leave certain roads or streets in which no burrow is made. The 



THE STORY OF THE PRAIRIE DOG. 



201 



affairs of the community seem to be regulated by a single leader, called the 
big dog, whO' sits before the entrance of his burrow, and issues his orders from 
thence to the community. In front of every burrow a small heap of earth is 
raised, which is made from the excavated soil, and which is generally employed 
as a seat for the occupant of the burrow. 

As long as no danger is apprehended the little animals are all in lively 
motion, sitting upon their mounds, or hurrying from one tunnel to another, 
as eagerly as if they were transacting the most important business. Suddenly 




A PRAIRIE DOG TOWN IN COLORADO. 



a sharp yelp is heard, and the peaceful scene is in a moment transformed into 
a whirl of indistinguishable confusion. Quick barks resound on every side, 
the air is filled with a dust-cloud, in the midst of which is indistinctly seen an 
intermingled maze of flourishing legs and whisking tails, and in a moment the 
populous "town" is deserted. Not a dog is visible, and the whole spot is appar- 
ently untenanted. But in a few minutes a pair of dark eyes are seen gleaming 
at the entrance of some burrow, a set of listening teeth next shine through the 



202 THE STORY OF THE PRAIRIE DOG. 

dusky recess, and in a few minutes first one, and then another prairie dog 
issues from its retreat, until the whole community is again in lively action. 

The title of prairie dog has been given on account of its sharp, yelping 
sound, which has some resemblance to the barking of a peevish lapdog. This 
peculiar sound is evidently employed as a cry of alarm ; for, as soon as it is 
uttered, all the prairie dogs dive intO' their burrows, and do not emerge again 
until they hear the shrill whistle which tells them that the danger is past. 
Being sO' wary an animal, it is with difficulty approached or shot; even when 
severely wounded it is not readily secured, owing tO' its wonderful tenacity of 
life. A bullet that would instantly drop a deer has, comparatively, no imme- 
diate effect upon the prairie dog, which is capable of reaching its burrow, even 
tliough mortally wounded in such a manner as would cause the instantaneous 
death of many a larger animal. A tolerably large bullet through the brain 
seems to be the only certain method of preventing a prairie dog from regaining 
its stronghold. . The mode by which this animal enters the burrow is very 
comical. It does not creep or run into the entrance, but makes a jump in the 
air, turning a partial somersault, flourishing its hind-legs and whisking its tail 
in the most ludicrous manner, and disappearing as if by the magic of a con- 
jurer. 

The burrows of the prairie dog are generally made at an angle of forty 
degrees, and after being sunk for some little distance run horizontally. It is 
well known that these burrows are not only inhabited by the legitimate owners 
and excavators, but are shared by the burrowing owl and the rattlesnake. 
According to popular belief, the three creatures live ' very harmoniously 
together; but careful observations have shown that the snake and the owl 
are interlopers, living in the burrows because the poor owners cannot turn 
them out of their hiding-places, and finding an easy subsistence on the young- 
prairie dogs. 

In Europe and Asia the prairie dog is known by its zoological name, 
tlie marmot. The best known are the Alpine marmot, inhabiting the Pyre- 
nees, Alps and Carpathian Mountains, and the bobac marmot, found on 
the frontier of Germany and ranging eastwards through Galicia and Poland, 
across the steppes of Southern Russia, and so on to Amurland, Kamschatka, 
and Siberia; the climate of these regions being cold enough to admit of 
the existence of marmots at low elevations. In Lapland and Scandinavia, 
marmots are quite unknown. 

In Asia one of the best known is the short-tailed Himalayan marmot, 
which is nearly allied to the bobac, but of somewhat larger size. Its range 



THE STORY OF THE PRAIRIE DOG. 



203 



extends from the mountains of Yarkand and other parts of Turkestan to 
Ladak and Eastern Thibet, where it is usually found at elevations of from 
twelve thousand to thirteen thousand feet. The largest and handsomest 
of the Old World group is, however, the long-tailed red marmot, in which 
the length of the head and body is about twenty-four inches, and that of 
the tainully half as much. The Alpine marmot is twenty inches, and the 
bobac fifteen. The Himalayan marmot may be met with on the mountain- 




A FAMILY OF BOBACS. 

ranges to the north of the valley of Kashmir, and thence to Gilgit in one 
dire'ction, and parts of Ladak in the other, while it is also said to extend 
far into Central Asia. Other kindred but smaller species are the Cabul 
marmot from Northern Afghanistan, and the golden marmot from the 
mountains to the west of Yarkand. 

The districts inhabited by all the marmots of the Old World are desolate 



304 THE STORY OF THE PRAIRIE DOG. 

and barren; being in most cases scorched with fierce heat in summer, while 
in winter they are subject to intense cold. In the Himalaya, these animals 
are not met with until the traveler has crossed the wooded outer ranges, 
and entered the bleak Thibetan districts. 

The habits of all the marmots of the Old World are very similar; all 
of these animals living in large companies, and excavating burrows in which 
they pass the whole of the winter buried in slumber. Indeed, marmots 
seem to be the most thoroughly hibernating of all animals, since their sleep 
is apparently unbroken, and they lay up no store of winter food. Their 
food is purely of a vegetable nature, consisting mainly of roots, leaves, and 
seeds of various plants. In the Himalaya the burrows are very generally 
constructed beneath the shelter of a plant of wild rhubarb; and the tenants 
on a fine day take up their station on the mound at the entrance, or journey 
for a short distance in search of food. At the least alarm, they rush at once 
to the entrance of their burrow, when they sit up on their hind-quarters to 
survey the scene and detect the danger. If the enemy approach too close, 
the loud whistling scream is uttered, and the animal dives headlong into its 
burrow, to reappear after a time and see if the coast is clear. Both in the 
Alps and Himalaya marmot-w-arrens are situated in exposed situations, gen- 
erally where there is a considerable open space, and which in winter are 
deeply buried in snow. In the case of the Alpine species, the winter-quar- 
ters are made in large burrows, each with a single entrance, and terminat- 
ing in an extensive cliamber lined with grass; such chambers frequently 
containing as many as from ten to fifteen occupants during the winter, all 
lying closely packed together. 

The flesh of marmots is of good flavor, and is largely consumed by the 
inhabitants of the Siberian steppes, who as soon as the bobac reappears in 
spring, after its winter sleep, organize a regular system of hunting. In 
shooting marmots it is essential that they should be killed at the first shot, 
as the sportsman is only able to come within range when they are sitting 
at the mouths of their burrows, and if only wounded, no matter how se- 
verely, they are well-nigh sure to have sufficient power left to struggle 
down. Marmots in the Himalaya will generally reappear after being fired 
at once, but after a second fright they are seldom seen acrain on that day. 




STORY OF THE WILD BOAR. 



The wild hog, or boar, inhabits many parts of Europe, especially the 
forests of Germany, where the chase of the wild boar is a common amuse- 
ment. It has become extinct in this country for many years. Its tusks 
are terrible weapons, and capable of being used with fatal effect. They 
curve outwards from the lower jaw, and are sometimes eight or ten inches in 
length. In India, where the boar attains to a great size, the horses on which 
the hunters are mounted often refuse to bring their riders within spear stroke 
of the infuriated animal, and I have seen it kill a horse, and severely injure 
the rider with one sweep of its enormous tusks. 

The wild boar is distinguished by a body generally of dusky-brown or 
grayish color, having a tendency tO' black, and being diversified with black 
spots. The front teeth or tusks in the male are long and powerful, and 
project beyond the upper lip, the mouth is large, and the elongated head is 
set on a short neck rising out of a thick and muscular body. The size is 
variable, an old wild boar, measured by a hunter, being five feet nine inches 
long, while a four-year-old of the more ordinary size measured three feet 
without the tail. The female is smaller than the male and with smaller 
tusks. The hairs of the body are coarse, intermixed with downy wool. 
On the neck and shoulders the hair takes the form of bristles, being long 
enough to be called a kind of mane which the animal is enabled to erect if 

205 



206 



THE STORY OF THE WILD BOAR. 



irritated. The young has the body marked with stripes of a reddish color 
running lengthwise. 

The lower tusks of the male wild boar, which project about three inches 
from the jaW', and are kept with edges as sharp as razors by w'ear against 
those of the upper jaw, are most formidable weapons, capable of ripping open 
a horse at a single stroke. Both the European and the Indian species are 
among the boldest and fiercest of all animals, charging men, horses, or ele- 
phants time after time without a moment's hesitation, and in spite of the 
most desperate wounds. Indeed, the injuries that a wild boar will sustain 




EAST AFRICAN WILD HOG. 



without loss of life are perfectly marvelous. I once killed an old boar, in the 
skull of which the broken extremity of the tusk of another boar was firmly 
embedded, with its point penetrating into the brain-cavity a short distance 
behind the left eye. 

Although the speed of a wild pig is considerable, yet it cannot be main- 
tained for any long distance, and accordingly, either a boar or a sow may 
be easily overtaken by a well-mounted horseman after a comparatively short 



THE STORY OF THE WILD BOAR. 



207 



run. Both as regards speed and inclination to fight there is, however, con- 
siderable local variation among the wild pigs of India; the large, heavily- 
built animal found in Bengal being much more disposed to show fight than 
the lighter pig of the Punjab, which has a greater turn of speed. In spite 
of its boldness, the Indian wild boar seldom makes unprovoked attacks; but 
when once roused nothing will stop it. An instance is on record of a boar 
charging, overthrowing, and ripping open a camel; and there are several 




A FAMILY OF WILD HOGS. 



w^ell-authenticated cases of boars having attacked and killed or beaten ofif 
tigers. 

The curious Japanese masked pig has an extraordinary appearance, from 
its short head, broad forehead, and nose, great fleshy ears and deeply- 
furrowed skin. Not only is the face furrowed, but thick folds of skin, which 
are harder than the other parts, almost like the plates on the Indian rhinoc- 



208 



THE STORY OF THE WILD BOAR. 



eros, hang aboiit the shoulders and rump. It is colored black, with white 
feet, and breeds true. That it has long been domesticated there can be 
little doubt; and this might have been inferred even from the circum- 
stance that its young are not longitudinally striped. 

The extraordinary development of the tusks in the males of the animal 
to which the Malays have given the name of Babirusa (meaning pig-deer) 
is so remarkable as to suggest at first sight the idea of a malformation. The 
babirusa, which is an inhabitant of Celebes and Boru, and is the sole repre- 




WILD HOG OF THE PHILIPPINES. 



sentative of its genus, has, indeed, derived its name from these abilormally- 
developed tusks, which have led the Malays to liken them -to the antlers 
of the deer. In the boars the upper tusks, while curving upwards like those 
of an ordinary wild pig, instead of protruding from the margins of the jaws, 
arise close together near the middle line of the face, and thence, after being 
directed upwards for a short distance, sweep backwards, frequently coming 
into contact with the surface of the forehead, and are then finally directed 



THE STORY OF THE WILD BOAR. 



^09 



forwards at the tip. The lower tusks have the same iipwards-and-backwards 
direction as those of the upper jaw, but are frequently less strongly curved, 
although in other cases the direction of their sweep is not very different 
from that of the latter. The upper tusks occasionally attain a length of 
fourteen and one-half inches, exclusive of the portion buried in the socket. 
It is a popular belief that pigs are never injured by the poisons of snakes; 
and it is customary to turn a drove of these animals into a district infested 




SOUTH AFRICAN WILD HOG. 



by such reptiles, which in a short time is usually completely cleared of 
them. It is well known that pigs will destroy any rattlesnake they meet 
with, and this serpent is certainly provided with one of the most deadly of 
poisons, and it is a reptile not at all likely to submit to an attack from 
any quarter without using all its powers of defense. It is supposed that the 
pig receives the bite of the enraged snake on its cheek, where the fat and 



210 THE STORY OF THE WILD BOAR. 

gristle are the thickest, and that, as there is Httle or no blood in that part, 
the poison is not carried through the system, so that the animal experi- 
ences no ill-effects from the virus. Whenever a serpent is spied, the pig, 
with erected bristles, rushes right upon it, and, indifferent to the formidable 
fangs that are perhaps sticking in its own hide, bites the reptile in pieces and 
then devours it. 

I once witnessed a hunt for babirusa by the natives of Celibes. 

The animals being driven into a curral with a V-shaped opening and 
flanked by netting, we had plenty of time to wait before the sport began, 
and meanwhile the natives arranged themselves at their posts. One stood 
at the door of the curral, ready to close it directly any animal rushed in; 
others took up their places on either side of the wide entrance, while 
the remainder crouched in front of the long net at intervals of a few yards, 
each grasping his spear, and hidden from view by a huge Livistonia (a kind 
of palm) frond. We had not long been settled before a peculiar barking 
grunt in the distance announced the arrival of the first victim. Everyone 
was instantly motionless, and directly afterwards a dark object dashed up at 
great speed and buried itself in the net a short way down the slope. There 
was a short struggle, and in less than five minutes the captive, a full-grown 
female babirusa, was quietly reposing on her back, with her legs tied together 
with rattan, and we were once more in ambush for the next comer. We 
were hardly quiet before the same peculiar sound was heard rapidly ap- 
proaching, and the next moment a magnificent old boar babirusa rushed 
past within five yards of us, and plunged into the net between our tree and 
the entrance to the curral. His long tusks became entangled in the meshes, 
and the natives ran up to spear him. Just at this moment, however, he 
broke loose, and, turning on his antagonists, scattered them in all direc- 
tions. It was a most determined charge, and, as we were unable to fire for 
fear of hitting some of our own men, it might have proved a serious affair 
for the native he singled out. After some trouble the animal was, however, 
finally despatched with a spear-thrust, but, even with four spears buried in 
his body, the old boar died game, striving to the very last to get at his 
antagonists. 




STORY OF THE PORCUPINE. 



I have a great deal of respect for the porcupine, and I have noticed that 
his fellow animals have a like feeling toward him. In the first place, he 
doesn't meddle with the affairs' of others and he very cjuickly resents any 
attempt to meddle with his affairs. He rarely hunts for a fight and he never 
runs away from one. In all of the animal kingdom I do not believe there is 
a more fearless creature. 

Conscious of his own powers of defense he seems to have a contempt 
for other animals. In Africa and India tigers and leopards attack him and 
often kill him, but only after a hard fight, in which they receive many 
wounds, which sometimes prove fatal, from his long spines, called quills. In 
Western America I have known a mountain lion (p-uma) toi die of wounds 
received in a fight with a porcupine. The wounds suppurated, causing 
blood-poisoning, resulting in death. The other animals know that the por- 
cupine is not afraid of them and that he is always ready to fight — hence they 
respect him and usually leave him alone. 

The porcupine has long been rendered famous among men by the extra- 
ordinary armory of pointed spears which it bears upon its back, and which 
it was formerly fabled to launch at its foes with fatal precision. This remark- 
able power of the rugged little creature has been thoroughly exploited and is 
attributable to a real fact, of which few writers take cognizance. When 
attacked the porcupine prepares for defense by rolling itself into a ball, 



S12 



THE STORY OF THE PORCUPINE. 



exposing the bristles, but with its feet ready for action. When the assailant 
has approached suf^ciently near, the active little animal darts forward, 
hurling itself against the attacking animal. The spear-like quills find lodge- 
ment in the skin of the assailant, causing in every case a hasty retreat. 

This animal inhabits many parts of the world, being found in Africa, 
Southern Europe and India. The spines, or quills, with which it is furnished, 
vary considerably in length, the longest quills being flexible and not capable 
of doing much harm to an opponent. Beneath these is a plentiful supply 
of shorter spines, from five to ten inches in length, which are the really 
effective weapons of this imposing array. Their hold on the skin is very 
slio-ht, so that when they have been struck into a foe, they remain fixed in 




PORCUPINES OF SIAM. 



the wound, and, unless immediately removed, work sad woe to the sufTerer. 
For the quill is so constructed that it gradually bores its way into the flesh, 
burrowing deeper at every movement, often causing the death of the 
wounded creature. 

In Africa and India leopards and tigers have frequently been killed, in 
v/hose flesh were pieces of porcupine quills that had penetrated deeply into 
the body, and had even caused suppuration to take place. In one instance, 
a tiger was found to have his paws, ears and head filled with the spines of a 
porcupine, which he had been vainly endeavoring to kill. 

As I have said, conscious of its powers, the porcupine is not at all an 



THE STORY OF THE PORCUPINE. 



213 



aggressive animal, and seldom, if ever, makes an unprovoked attack. But 
if irritated or wounded, it becomes at once a very unpleasant antagonist, as 
it spreads out its bristles widely, and rapidly backs upon its opponent. 

I have witnessed the successful defense of the animal on a number of 
occasions. Being- one moonlight night with a party in search of porcupines 
with dogs, we had not been out long ere we discovered a hole inhabited by 
these quadrupeds. A dog was immediately put to it. The animal had not 
gone many paces, when he howled and retreated with several quills in his 
body. One in particular was driven an inch into his right leg. The porcu- 
pine, on the approach of the dog, drew itself into the shape of a ball, and, 
darting forward with all its strength, drove its quills into the dog. We were 




PORCUPINES OF MOROCCO. 



forced to give up the fight, and the porcupine saved his life by the desperate 
fight made against our dogs. 

The total length of the common porcupine is about three feet six inches, 
the tail being about six inches long. Its gait is plantigrade, slow and clumsy, 
and as it walks its long quills shake and rattle in a very curious manner. Its 
muzzle is thick and heavy, and its eyes small and piglike. 

The American Indians use the quills extracted from the Canada porcu- 
pine, a species living on trees, for ornamenting various parts of their dress, 
especially their moccasins or skin shoes. The length of this species is about 
two feet. It is found in many parts of the United States as well as in Canada. 



314 THE STORY OF THE PORCUPINE. 

It is capable of depressing the bristling spears, and can squeeze itself through 
an opening which would appear at first sight to be hardly large enough to 
permit the passage of an animal of only half its size. 

When one of these animals has selected and settled himself in a tree to 
his liking, he may not leave it, day or night, until he has denuded it of the 
whole of its foliage. I have seen many hemlocks thus completely stripped, 
not a green twig remaining, even on the smallest bough. It seems incred- 
ible that so large and clumsy an animal should be able to climb out far 
enough on the branches of trees to reach the terminal leaves; but he dis- 
tributes his weight by bringing several branches together, and then, with 
his powerful paws, bends back their ends and passes them through his mouth. 
When high in the tree-tops he is often passed unnoticed, mistaken, if seen 
at all, for the nest of a crow or a hawk. 

The Mexican tree-porcupine belongs to a family which has hair so long 
as almost to conceal the spines. It is easily distinguished by the uniform 
black color of the fur, and also by the presence of numerous spiny bristles 
mingled with the hair of the lower parts of the body. These bristles arise 
in small clusters, and being white for the greater part of their length, form 
star-like spots among the dark fur. These bristles and the spines on the 
back are black at the tips. 

This species inhabits the forests on the eastern coasts of Mexico. Noth- 
ing special is recorded of its habits; but from observations made on captive 
individuals it is probable that none of the tree-porcupines ever drink. It 
is stated that in those long-haired species in which the fur is of a grayish 
tint, the general appearance of the animal when reposing on the arm of 
a tree closely resembles a gnarled and lichen-clad knot. 

The brush-tailed porcupine, of which one species inhabits Western and 
Central Africa, and the other Burma and the Malayan region, are much 
smaller and more rat-like animals than the true porcupines, from which 
they are distinguished at a glance. 

A species of porcupine has been discovered in Borneo, distmguished 
by its short spines. 

From the large size of their teeth and jaws, porcupines have great 
gnawing powers, and the writer has seen in India tusk of elephants which 
have been half-eaten by these animals as they lay in the jungles. The flesh 
of porcupines is excellent eating, and resembles something between pork 
and veal in flavor. 




THE STORY OF THE 

HIPPOPOTAMUS. 



It is related of a former United States Senator from Ohio that he was 
one day at a circus and menagerie, where he was watching the feeding of 
the hippopotamus, when a party, among whom was a dentist, approached. 
The dentist laughingly said: 

"Many's the time I took molars like that fellow has, and put them in 
the mouths of my patients." 

Pressed to explain what he meant, he stated that the tusks of the hippo- 
potamus were of finest ivory and used in making false teeth. The Senator 
had been an attentive listener to the conversation, and suddenly he was 
seen to shudder and turn pale. Reaching into his mouth he took out a 
plate, and, passing it to the dentist, asked whether the teeth in it were made 
from the hippopotamus' tusks. When he was assured they were, he refused 
to replace them, and never again wore false teeth. A peculiar lisping pre- 
vented his making speeches after that, but no amount of persuasion sufficed 
to overcome his disgust at the teeth. 

The hippopotamus is generally spoken of as a river horse, because that is 
the translation of its Greek name, but "river hog" would be a more truthful 
description. 

Hippopotami are bulky animals, with round, barrel-like bodies of great 

315 



216 THE STORY OF THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 

length, very short and thick legs, and enormous heads. Indeed, the ugly 
head of a hippopotamus appears as if it were too large and heavy for its 
owner, since the animal may frequently be seen resting its ungainly muzzle 
on the ground, as though to relieve the neck from the strain of its weight. 

There is, in all probability, but one species of the hippopotamus. It 
inhabits Africa exclusively, and is found in plenty on the banks of many 
rivers in that country, where it may be seen gamboling and snorting at all 
times of the day. 

These animals are quiet and inofifensive while undisturbed; but, if 
attacked, they unite to repel the invader, and I have known them to tear 
several planks from the side of a boat, and sink it. They can remain about 
five or six minutes under water, and, when they emerge, they make a loud 
and very peculiar snorting noise, which can be heard at a great distance. 

In size the full-grown hippopotamus is equal to the rhinoceros. In form 
it is uncouth, the body being extremely large, fat, and round; the legs are 
very short and thick; the mouth extremely wide, and teeth of vast strength 
and size. The eyes and ears are small. The whole animal is covered with 
short hair, thinly set, and is of a brownish color. The hide is in some parts 
two inches thick, and not much unlike that of the hog. 

From the unwieldiness of his body, and the shortness of his legs, the 
hippopotamus is not able to move fast upon land, and is then an extremely 
timid animal. If pursued it takes to the water, plunges in, sinks to the 
bottom, and there walks at ease. It cannot, however, continue long without 
rising for air, though, if threatened with danger, it does this so cautiously 
that the place where its nose is raised above the surface of the water is 
scarcely perceptible. 

If wounded, the hippopotamus will rise and attack boats or canoes with 
reat fury, and will often sink them by biting large pieces out of their sides. 
In shallow rivers it makes deep holes in the bottom, in order to conceal its 
great bulk. When it quits the water it usually puts out half its body at 
once, and smells and looks round; but sometimes rushes out with great 
impetuosity, and tramples down everything in the way. During the night 
it leaves the rivers to feed on sugar-canes, rushes, millet or rice, of which it 
consumes great quantities. 

The Egyptians are said to adopt a singular mode of destroying this 
voracious animal. They mark the places it frequents, and there deposit a 
quantity of peas. When the beast comes ashore, hungry and voracious, it 
eagerly devours the peas, which causes a thirst. It then rushes into the 



THE STORY OF THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 



217 



water, and drinks so copiously that the peas in its stomach, being fully 
saturated, swell so much as soon afterwards to cause his death. Among 
the Kaffirs in the south of Africa the hippopotamus is sometimes caught by 
means of pits. 




THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 



The gait of this animal, when undisturbed, is generally so slow and 
cautious that it often smells out the snare, and avoids it. The most cer- 
tain method is to watch at night, behind a bush close to its path, and strike 
it in the knee joints with a sword. 



218 THE STORY OF THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 

The ancient Egyptians were in the habit of harpooning- the hippopota- 
mus, and this custom is still kept up by the Sudanis on the upper Nile. The 
usual plan when a party of these animals has been observed in the river, is 
for a couple of hunters, each armed with a harpoon to which a line is 
attached, to enter the river some distance above, and swim cautiously down 
on the herd. When within striking distance, both men hurl their weapons 
at the same time. To each is attached a wooden float, which marks the 
position of the animal while below the surface, and the chase is taken up 
by other hunters on the bank armed with harpoons and lances. By an 
ingenious arrangement, the float is at length captured by a rope and the 
animal dragged to shore, where it is despatched with lances. This, however, 
is frequently not accomplished without the death of one or more of the 
intrepid hunters. In Central Africa, on the other hand, the hippopotamus 
is harpooned from canoes. In other parts the favorite method is to suspend 
a weighted spear, frequently tipped with poison, over a branch of a tree 
near the tracks of the hippopotamus, and to make fast the end of the line, 
to which it is attached to stakes on either side of the path. When the 
animal comes along, it strikes against the line, the stakes are loosened, and 
the heavy spear comes down with a thud on its head or back. 




THE STORY OF THE JACKAL. 



In India lives a wolf-like creature called the jackal, which gives a peculiar 
wailing howl As the animal is known to feed on dead bodies, the Anglo- 
Indian version of its howl is as follows: "Dead Hindoo! where, where, 
where!'' The jackal has another howl or cry used only when in the vicinity 
of a tiger. I have heard both cries and they are the most peculiar that I can 
recall. There is a fable, religiously believed by the natives of India, that the 
jackal acts as a scout for the hon, and that the king of beasts shares the prey 
with his smaller friend. This took its origin from the fact that the lion, 
after eating his fill, leaves the remainder of the carcass, and the skulking 
jackal, finding it, makes his meal from the leavings. 

The jackal is well known both as a prowler and a scavenger, in which 
capacity he is useful, and as a disturber of our midnight rest by his horrible 
yells, in which peculiarity he is to be looked upon as an unmitigated nui- 
sance. He is mischievous, too, occasionally, and will commit havoc among 
poultry and young kids and lambs; but, as a general rule, he is a harmless, 
timid creature, and when animal food fails, he will take readily to vegetables. 
The jackal sometimes feeds on dead bodies, which it digs out of the shallow 
graves made by the natives, and I onc« came across, in the vicinity of a 
jungle village, the dead body of a child that had been unearthed by a jackal. 

The jackal can be tamed, and I once had several with me in an interior 
village of India. 

319 



220 



THE STORY OF THE JACKAL. 



One of these would answer to its name, and was remarkable for the 
cleanliness of its habits, being particularly averse to getting its feet wet by; 
rain, seeking during showers the shelter of the huts. As a rule, it never sat 
down on its haunches after the manner of a dog, but would lie at full length, 
with its nose resting between its fore-paws, and would generally select a 
sunny spot, where it lay blinking in the sunlight. 

The black-backed jackal is a very distinct African species. The adults 




THE EUROPEAN JACKAL. 



of both sexes are brightly colored, the sides of the body being red, the limbs 
and the upper part of the tail reddish yellow; while the back of the body 
and the end of the tail are black. The individual hairs of the body are ringed 
with black and white or red and white, so as to produce a speckled appear- 
ance in the fur. The under parts of the body and the inner sides of the limbs 
are nearly white, the ears and part of the face being yellowish brown. This 
striking coloration occurs, however, only in the full-grown jackals, the fur 



THR STORY OP THE JACKAL 



m 



of the young being a uniform dusky brown. The dark band on the neck so 
often found in the common jackal is absent. The ears are very long. 

This jackal is found both in the open country and in bush jungle. In 
the sandy regions on the shores of the Red Sea it is to be found frequently 
in the small thickets covering the banks of the ravines, which swarm with 
hares and pangolins, upon which the jackal feeds. At night it visits the 
villages of the natives, and in Somaliland it is stated to bite of¥ the fat tails 







ARABIAN WOLF JACKAL 

of the sheep. In the Sudan it lives chiefly upon the smaller antelopes, mice, 
jerboas and other rodents. 

The Asiatic jackals vary considerably in point of size, the length of 
the head and body varying from two tO' two and one-half feet. Its general 
color is a pale grayish, with a larger or smaller admixture of black on the 
upper parts. The under parts are paler, and the muzzle, ears and the 
outer sides of the limbs more so than the rest. The reddish brown hairs 



222 



THE STORY OF THE JACKAL 



of the tail have long black tips, ihiis forming a distinct black tip to the 
tail itself. The African variety is of rather larger size, with relatively longer 
ears; and the sides of the body are grayer. Occasionally yellow, black and 
white varieties of the jackal have been met with, the latter being true 
albinos. 

The jackal ranges from the southeastern countries of Europe to India 
and Ceylon; thence it extends through Assam to Northern Pegu and the 
neighborhood of Mandalay, although it is much less common east of the 
Bay of Bengal than in India. In Northern Africa it inhabits Egypt and 
Abvssinia, and the districts to the north of the Sahara. In the Himalaya 




JACKALS OF SIAM 



it ascends to from three to four thousand feet above the sea level. Through- 
out India it may be found indifferently in hilly or plain country, in forest 
or open districts, or in large cities. 

Although jackals are frequently in the habit of going singly or in pairs, 
they often associate in packs, which may be of considerable size; these 
assemblages being more frequent at night than during the daytime. In 
India the jackal's wanderings are by no means confined to the night. 

In extremely hot weather they appear to suffer much, and may be found 
either lying in the water, where they spend most of the day, or sneaking 
away therefrom, instead of being, as usual, hidden away in their holes. 




THE STORY OF THE TAPIR. 



In South America I shot any number of that queer animal which forms 
the connecting- Hnk between the elephant -and the hog, which bears a close 
resemblance to a rhinoceros and which is called a tapir. The snout is length- 
ened into a kind of proboscis, or trunk, like the elephant's but is compara- 
tively short. 

It was my fortune to w^itness the method by which the jaguar kills a 
tapir, for next to man the big spotted cat is the deadly foe of that animal. 

With my native hunters, I was following the course of a small river, 
expecting at every moment to come upon a tapir asleep. It was getting late 
in the evening and was time for the animals to be moving about in search 
of food. 

Suddenly my Indian guide put up his hand in warning, and I took it as 
a sign that we were near the game. I stopped and peered ahead through 
the tall weeds and undergrowth, and could scarcely repress an exclamation 
of surprise at what I saw. Stretched upon the low limb of a tree near the 
river bank, was the most beautiful specimen of a jaguar I had ever seen. 
It was crouched, ready to spring, and its long tail was swaying back and 
forth. 

My gun went to my shoulder, but before I had taken aim the jaguar 
gathered itself and sprang into the reeds. At the same moment a loud 
grunt and shrill whistle-broke the stillness, and a huge tapir with the jaguar 
clinging by its sharp claws to the animal's back went tearing through the 

223 



^u 



THE STORY OF THE TAPIR. 



tall reeds. The terrified tapir was running toward some thick underbrush, 
evidently with the hope of dislodging the jaguar. The big cat had fastened 
its teeth in the back of the tapir's neck, but had not reached a vital spot. 
If the tapir could succeed in reaching the thick undergrowth it possibly 
could scrape the jaguar off its back. Myself and my men followed as fast 
as we could. Once I thought the tapir would shake the jaguar off, but the 
latter got a fresh grip with its jaws, this time on the under part of the tapir's 
neck. 

Just as they reached the edge of the thick underbrush, the poor tapir 
fell upon its knees with the jaguar still clinging to its throat and drinking 




A SOUTH AMERICAN MOUNTAIN TAPIR. 



its life blood. The rest of the struggle was brief, and the tapir quickly 
succumbed. 

The jaguar had been so intent upon its prey that it had neither seen nor 
heard us. But now that the battle was over, it was more alert, and a slight 
motion of the reeds made by one of my native hunters attracted its attention. 
It raised its head, stained with the tapir's blood, and uttered its characteristic 
snarl. 

I did not wish to take any chances on such a magnificent animal escaping 
me, and as its head was raised I fired and my bullet found its brain. 



THE STORY OF THE TAPIR. 



225 



There are many species of the tapir. The American tapir is common 
enough in the hot countries of South America. Another is met with in the 
most elevated regions of the Cordilleras, and the Andes. A third inhabits 
the forests of the island of Sumatra, and the peninsula of Malacca. 

The American tapir is seen on the borders of rivers. It sleeps during 
the day, and wanders about at night in search of its food, which consists of 
water-melons, gourds, and other vegetables. It is very fond of the water, 
and can remain below the surface for a considerable period. It is a very 
powerful animal, and, as it is furnished with a thick hide, it plunges through 




THE Malayan tapir. 



the brushwood, breaking its way past any obstacles that may oppose its 
progress. 

Although in general perfectly harmless animals, fleeing precipitately 
before the smallest dog, tapirs will sometimes attack their enemies fiercely, 
this being more especially the case with females that have been deprived 
of their young. In such instances they rush violently at their foes — human 
or otherwise — and after knocking them down will trample upon and bite 
them after the manner of wild swine. 

The Malayan tapir is the largest of the whole group, and differs from all 



226 THE STORY OF THE TAPIR. 

the others in its parti-colored skin. In height this animal stands from three 
to three and one-half feet at the withers, and about four inches more at the 
rump, its length along the cufves from the tip of the snout to the root oi 
the tail being about eight feet. 

They are fond of gamboling in the water and rolling in soft mud, their 
hides being often thickly plastered with the latter, probably as a protection 
against the bites of insects. Indeed, in many respects their mode of life is 
very similar to that of swine, although in their more solitary habits they 
present a closer resemblance to their cousins the rhinoceroses. Thus the 
males, except during the pairing-season, are said to be completely solitary, 
and even family parties are but rarely met with; and, except when several 
have been temporarily collected by the attraction of unusually good pasture, 
it is but very seldom that more than three individuals are seen in company. 
Tapirs commence to feed in the evening, and probably continue throughout 
the greater part of the night. 

These animals are slow and deliberate in their movements, and I have 
often seen them walking with their snouts close to the ground, and by the 
aid of scent or sound detecting the presence of foes with extreme acuteness. 
When frightened, however, they rush blindly forwards, crashing through 
bushes or splashing through water in precipitate flight. The tapir is an 
excellent swimmer, crossing the largest rivers with facility, and even diving 
beneath the surface of the water, although with what object is not ascer- 
tained. Not improbably it may also walk along the beds of shallow rivers 
and lakes, as was observed to be the habit of a specimen of the Malayan 
species kept in captivity at Barrakpur. 

The chief sound uttered by the American tapir is a peculiar shrill whistle, 
which has but little volume in comparison with the size of the animal by 
Vv'hich it is emitted. This whistle is uttered at all seasons, and is not, as has 
been supposed, restricted to the pairing-sea^im; lli£ -Malayan species give 
vent to a very similar sound. When suddenly disturbed, the American tapir 
utters a loud snort. 

In some parts the South American Indians track the tapir to its lair, and 
shoot it as it lies. In Paraguay, when the hunters capture a young tapir of 
too large a size to be carried on a horse in front of the rider, they bore a 
hole in one side of the snout through which they pass a tho-ng, and the 
animal will then follow readily enough when led. 

Next to man, the worst foes of the tapir are the larger cats; the jaguar 
preying largely on the American species, and the tiger attacking its Malayan 



THE STORY OF THE TAPIR. 



227 



cousin. When an American tapir is attacked by a jaguar, it immediately 
rushes into the thickest cover in the hope of dislodging its assailant, which, 
h-om the thickness of the animal's hide, is unable to obtain a firm hold on 
its back. The tapir is not unfrequently successful; and many of these 
animals are killed with the marks of jaguar's claws on their backs. 

It is now settled that there are sevei'al distinct kinds of tapirs to be 
found in Central and South America. The common tapir is only found 
in the low, hot regions, and rarely higher than an elevation of three thousand 
feet, but a more hardy species, known as the "mountain tapir," ranges on 




A BROWN TAPIR OF CENTRAL AMERICA. 



the eastern side of the Andes Mountains at an altitude of seven and eight 
thousand feet. 

The brown tapir is never found outside of Guatemala, Nicaragua and 
Costa Rica, and more nearly resembles a swine than any of the other species. 
The common tapir is almost black, while the species to which I am referring 
has hair of a light brown color. It differs from the common tapir in other 
respects — the skull, nos^, etc. — which differences are of more interest to 
scientists than to the lay reader. 



22g THE STORY OF THE TAPIR. 

The Malayan tapir exceeds all others in coloration — in fact, no other 
animal is so strongly marked except the zebra. It is black from the end 
of its long snout, or short trunk, to- a point behind the shoulders. From 
the shoulders to the hind-quarters it is pure white. The hind-quarters and 
legs are black. While full-grown tapirs are handsome in color contrasts, 
the young are handsomer still, and present a more varied scheme of colora- 
tion. In point of color they are among the handsomest of animals. 

When the young of the Malayan tapir are born they are brownish and 
velvety black, marked with spots and stripes of brownish yellow and white 
on the sides of the body, the same as in the young of the wild boar. The 
]\Ialayan tapir is also distinguished from the American tapir by the longer 
and more slender trunk and by the absence of the sinewy fatty comb on the 
neck and head, reaching to the ears in the American species. 

The Malayan tapir is found in the peninsula from which it takes its name, 
extending northwards tO' Tenasserim, and it also' occurs in the island of Su- 
matra, and perhaps in Borneo. 

Owing to its retiring nature, the Malayan tapir is but seldom seen in its 
native haunts, and our information as toi its habits is consequently meager in 
the extreme. Indeed, nothing is known as to its breeding habits, although it 
seems to be ascertained that but one young is produced at a birth. 

Though seen so rarely, the tapir is by nO' means uncommon in the interior 
of the Tavoy and Mergui provinces. I have frequently come upon its recent 
footmarks, but it avoids the inhabited parts of the country. When taking 
to the water, it is reported to plunge in and walk along the bottom, instead 
of swimming. In spite of its shy and retiring habits, this tapir, if captured 
at a sufficiently early period, can be readily tamed and is said to^ exhibit con- 
siderable attachment to its master. 

The yoiing of the American tapirs are striped and spotted after the man- 
ner of the Asiatic species. 




THE STORY OF THE MONKEY, 



The proverb "mischievous as a monkey" reveals the estimation in which 
monkeys commonly are held. The more or less human-like form, the fre- 
quent tendency to assume an upright position, coupled with their hand-like 
feet are amply suf^cient to distinguish the group to which these animals 
belong from all others. 

The peculiar traits of the monkey, which have made this class of animals 
the most interesting to the children and a source of amusement to their 
elders, are an interesting study. 

A neighbor of mine had a monkey of which he was very fond and the 
little pet used to love to sit on his master's shoulder. It showed, neverthe- 
less, a great dislike to strangers, and was not on good terms with any other 
member of my friend's household. My neighbor had started from home 
one morning without taking the monkey with him, and the little creature 
having missed its friend, and concluded, as it seemed, that he would be 
sure to come to me, both being in the habit of paying me a daily visit 
together, came straight to my dwelling, taking a short cut over gardens, 
trees, and thickets, instead of going the roundabout way of the street. It 
had never done this before, and we knew^ the route it had taken only from 
a neighbor having watched its movements. On arriving at my house, and 
not finding its master^ it climbed to the top of my table, and sat with an air 
pf quiet resignation waiting for him. He failed to come, and after a w^it 

m 



230 



THE STORY OF THE MONKEY. 



of several hours it returned home. Disappointed there it again came to me, 
and this time its master was there. The Httle creature was overjoyed and 
clung to him as a child would to its mother. 

When at Malwa in Northern India, wdiich is one of the lakes where I 
spent a day, I was warned that, in passing under a landslip which slopes 
down to the lake, I should be liable to have stones thrown at me by monkeys. 
Regarding this as being possibly a traveler's tale, I made a particular point 




MONKEYS STONING MR. SEYMOUR. 



of going tO' the spot in order to see what could have given rise to it. As I 
approached the base of the landslip on the north side of the lake, I saw a 
number of brown monkeys rush to the sides and across the top of the slip, 
and presently pieces of loosened stone and shale came tumbling down near 
where I stood. I fully satisfied myself that this was not merely accidental; 
for I distinctly saw one monkey industriously, with both forepaws, and 
with obvious malice, pushing the loose shingle off a shoulder of rgck, I 



THE STORY OF THE MONKEY. 



231 




LANGUR MONKEYS OF THE HIMALAYA MOUNTAINS. 



then tried the effect of throwing stones at them, and this made them quite 
angry, and the number of fragments which they then set rolling was speedily 
doubled. This, though it does not actually amount to throwing or pro- 
jecting an object by monkeys as a means of offense, comes very near to th^ 



233 THE STORY OF THE MONKEY. 

same thing, and makes me think that there may be truth in the stories of 
their throwing fruit at people from trees. 

In confinement the monkey is generally docile, good-tempered and 
amenable to instruction. A specimen in a zoological garden was said to be 
a most importunate beggar; but instead of snatching the contributions of 
his visitors with violence or anger, like the generality of monkeys, he solicited 
them by tumbling, dancing, and a hundred other amusing tricks. He was 
very fond of being caressed, and would examine the hands of his friends 
with great gentleness and gravity, trying to pick out the little hairs, and all 
the while expressing his satisfaction by smacking his lips, and uttering a 
low surprised grunt. 

Monkeys as a rule travel in bands in the wild state. The herds vary in 
number; some cannot include much less than from two hundred and fifty 
to three hundred monkeys of all ages. The old males usually take the lead 
when the troop is moving; some of them also bringing up the rear; others 
placing themselves on high rocks or bushes, and keeping a sharp lookout 
after enemies. A troop collected on a rocky crag presents a most singular 
appearance. Whenever they assemble in the evening every jutting rock, 
every little stone more prominent than the rest is occupied by a patriarch 
of the herd, who sits with gravity and watchfulness befitting his grizzled 
hair, waiting patiently for the march to begin anew. The females are mainly 
occupied in taking care of the young; the smaller monkeys amusing them- 
selves by gamboling about. Occasionally, if a young monkey becomes too 
noisy, or interferes with the repose of his seniors, he "catches it" in most 
unmistakable style, and is dismissed with many cuffs, a wiser if not a better 
monkey. 

Sometimes battles take place among the monkeys in the wild state, when 
it is surprising to witness the rapidity with which they will follow an offender 
down a stupendous precipice, or from the top of a lofty tree; tumbling 
one after another they descend hundreds of feet in a moment or two. The 
object of the popular wrath sometimes escapes, but in this event he is never 
permitted to return, becoming an exile. He often attaches himself to 
another group or band, where after a short probation he is received on 
good behavior. Should, however, the hapless member of the tribe be caught 
he is punished with death. The various troops rarely indulge in pitched 
battles with other bands, preferring to turn back in their course when their 
paths cross. 

Jhe member of the simian tribe with his natty red coat and twinkling 



THE STORY OF THE MONKEY. 



233 




MACAQUE, OR BROWN MONKEY. 



eye who is one-half the stock in trade of the organ grinder has been trained 
to do his part and does it faithfully. He is loyal to his master. An instance 
of this was shown when a highly prized monkey one day playfully climbed 
to the roof of his master's house. All efforts to induce him to come down 
vyere unavailing. Finally his master pointed ci gun at him, but quite unsvtc^ 



234 



THE STORY OF THE MONKEY. 



cessfully. Jack slipped over to the rear of the building. Another gun was 
procured and one was placed on each side of the house, when the monkey, 
seeing the fix he was in, sprang on the chimney, and hid in one of the flues, 
holding on by his forepaws. A fire soon brought him out and he meekly 
surrendered, coming to his master in an abashed and crestfallen manner. 

With the exception of a few small species, such as the marmosets and the 
lemurs, the simians are not very pleasing animals in aspect or habits; while 
the larger apes and baboons are positively disgusting. The air of grotesque 




A ROUGH RIDER IN AFRICA. 



humanity that characterizes them is horribly suggestive of human idiocy. 
It is true that the naturalist learns to see wonder or beauty in all things of 
nature, and therefore looks with lively interest on the ape. But still, this 
creature is less pleasing in his sight than many others which may be not so 
highly developed; and in truth there are few who, if the choice lay between 
the two fates, would not prefer to suffer from the fangs and claws of the 
lion than from the teeth and hands of the ape, 



THE STORY OF THE MONKEY. 



235 



Although these animals are capable of assuming a partially erect position, 
yet their habitual attitude is on all-fours. Even the most accomplished ape 
is but a bad walker when he discards the use of his two upper limbs, and 
trusts for support and progression to the hinder legs only. There are many 
dogs which can walk, after the manner of two-legged animals, with a firmer 
step and a more assured demeanor than the apes, although they do not so 
closely resemble the human figure. 

On account of the structure of the limbs, the term "hand" is given to 
their extremities; but scarcely with perfect fitness. It must be borne in 




A WHITE-NOSED MONKEY OF LIBERIA. 



mind that the thumb is not always found on the fore extremities of these 
animals. In several kinds of monkeys the fore paws are destitute of effective 
thumbs, and the hand-like grasp is limited to the hinder feet. The so-called 
hands of the monkey tribes will not bear comparison with those of man. 
Although the thumb possesses great freedom of motion, and in many species 
can be opposed to the fingers in a manner resembling the hand of man, yet 
there is no intellectual power in the monkey hand; none of that character- 
istic contour which speaks of the glorious human soul so strongly that an 



236 



THE STORY OF THE MONKEY. 



artist can sketch a single hand, and in that one member exhibit the indi- 
viduaHty of its owner. 

That monkeys, among the other characteristics which show a closer con- 
necting link with the human species than is at all agreeable, should possess 
that love of seeing how near they can get to danger without being hurt, 
which finds a place in almost every man's breast, is especially odd, but none 
the less true. 

U ill W ,1 \^MUh^\' M 




HAVING FUN WITH A CROCODILE. 



The rivers all through the kingdom of Siam abound with crocodiles in an 
extraordinary manner. These are tantalized daily by the monkeys, who 
annoy them in various ways. One day I was a witness to the monkey's love 
for frolic and the penalty sometimes paid. A large number of the agile little 
animals had gathered in a tree under which a crocodile was sunning in some 
shallow water. One after another the monkeys would drop to the lower 
l^ranches, but careful not to approach too near the open jaws. Approaching 



THE STORY OF THE MONKEY. 



m 



nearer and nearer the crocodile, and yelling at every effort the animal made 
to catch a stray leg or arm between his teeth. 

The odd sport went on for a full hour, the monkeys growing more and 
more excited, and the crocodile never once losing his patience, probably well 
aware, from experience, that in the end he should be repaid for having so 
kindlv lent himself to their amusement. 




AN OLD HANUMAN APE. 



At last an unlucky monkey slid down the trunk of the tree, passing 
unceremoniously over the heads and backs of his companions, evidently with 
the intention of taking the place of the one who occupied the post of danger 
near the water. 



238 



THE STORY OF THE MONKEY. 



The whole crowd yelled and chattered louder than ever, and the croco- 
dile's mouth opened wider, but he gave no other evidence of eagerness. 

The monkey had nearly reached the bottom of the line when he made a 
misstep, lost his hold, and fell into the river. 

There was one cry of agony, that was fairly human in its intensity, and 
the unhappy wight was dragged under the water. The crocodile and his vic- 
tim had disappeared. 

The chain was immediately broken, the monkeys flew up the tree in ter- 







rible haste, their merriment changed to doleful cries, and there they sat 
wringing their hands and bewailing the fate of their companion. 

In Darfour and Sennaar the natives make a fermented beer of which the 
monkeys are very fond. Aware of this, the natives go to the parts of the 
forests frequented by the monkeys, and set on the ground calabashes full of 
the enticing liquor. As soon as a monkey sees and tastes it, he utters loud 
cries of joy, attracting his comrades. Then an orgie begins, and in a short 
time the beasts show all degrees of intoxication. Then the negroes appear. 



THE STORY OF THE MONKEY. 



239 



The few monkeys who come too late to get fuddled escape. The drinkers 
are too far gone to distrust their captors, but apparently take them for larger 
species of their own genus. The negroes lay hold of one or two, and these 
immediately begin to weep and cover them with maudlin kisses. When a 
negro takes one by the hand to lead him ofT, the nearest monkey will cling 
to the one who thus finds a support and endeavor to go off also. Another 
will grasp at him, and thus in turn till the negro leads a staggering line of 
ten or a dozen tipsy monkeys. 




A DOG-FACED BABOON. 



THE UGLY BABOON. 

With the true baboons we come to the most hideous and repulsive-look- 
ing members of the monkey tribe, their repulsive appearance being only 
equalled by the fierce and untamable disposition of several of the group. 
All the baboons are confined to Africa and the countries lying on the north 
of the Red Sea, so that they are totally absent from the Oriental region. 



240 THE STORY OF THE MONKEY, 

They are found over the whole of Africa; but, as is so generally the case, 
are represented by a greater variety on the west coast than elsewhere, and 
it is also in that regioii that the most hideous representatives of the group 
are to be found. 

While agreeing with the gelada baboon in the great length of their 
snouts, the true baboons are readily distinguished by the nostrils being 
placed at the very extremity of their snout; indeed, in the Arabian baboon 
they actually project slightly beyond the upper lip, as is the case in most 
dogs. This canine form of countenance led the ancient Greeks and Romans 
to apply the name dog-headed to these animals. This great prolongation 
of the snout shows that the baboons are the lowest of the Old World 
monkeys, and they bear the most marked signs of relationship with the 
inferior orders of mammals. 

In addition to their long snouts, baboons are likewise distinguished by 
the large proportionate size of their skulls, this being most markedly the 
case with some of the West African forms. Moreover, the bones forming 
the upper jaws are greatly inflated, so as to give a swollen look tO' this part 
of the face in some of the species. They may also carry prominent oblique 
ridges, which form the support for the peculiar fleshy tumor-like structures 
occurring in certain West African examples. 

In all the baboons the callous places on the buttocks are unusually large, 
and may be very brightly colored. The tail is never very long, and often 
very short. The arms and legs, or, as they may be better termed, fore- and 
hind-legs, are nearly equal in length, and are thus far better adapted for pro- 
gress on the ground than for climbing. Indeed none of the baboons 
appear to be adepts at climbing, and many of them pass almost their 
whole time on the ground. Several species of this group show an especial 
predilection for rocky ground, and are accustomed to go in large troops — , 
this association being probably necessary for defence against the attacks 
of leopards and other flesh eating animals. 

Their defence does not, however, rest solely on the strength of numbers; 
for the male baboons, which are considerably superior in size and strength 
to their consorts, are armed with tusks of Hit most formidable dimensions. 
Indeed, a bite from one of these animals must be almost, if not quite, as 
severe and dangerous as a leopard's; and there are instances on record where 
leopards "have been successfully attacked and mastered by a few old male 
baboons. 

The mandrill, which is the most conspicuous of the baboon tribe, is a 



THE STORY OP THE MONKEY. 



241 



native of Guinea and Western Africa, and is chiefly remarkable for the vivid 
colors with which it is adorned. Its cheeks are of a brilliant blue, its muzzle 
of a bright scarlet, and a stripe of crimson runs along the center of its nose. 
These colors are agreeably contrasted by the purple hues of the hinder 
quarters. It lives principally in forests filled with brushwood, from which 




\ WHITE-HANDED GIBBON. 



it makes incursions into the nearest villages, plundering them with impu- 
nity. On this account it is much dreaded by the natives, who feel them- 
selves incapable of resisting its attacks. It is excessively ferocious, and 
easily excited to anger; and when enraged, so boundless is its rage, that I 
have seen several of these animals expire from the violence of their fury. 



m THE STORY OF THE MdNKRV. 

The greenish-browii color of the hair of this and other monkeys is caused 
by ahernate bands of yellow and black, which exist on each hair. The bril- 
liant colors referred to above belong to the skin, and fade away entirely 
after death. 

The chacma, or bear baboon is remarkable chiefly for its ability in dis- 
covering water. When the water begins to run short, and the known 
fountains have failed, the chacma is deprived of water for a whole day, until 
it is furious with thirst. A long rope is then tied to the baboon's collar, and 
it is suffered to run about where it chooses. 

First it runs forward a little, then stops; gets o-n its hind feet, and snifTs 
up the air especially taking notice of the w4nd and its direction. It will 
then, perhaps, change its course; and after running for some distance, take 
another observation. Presently it will spy out a blade of grass, or smaller 
object, pluck it up, turn it on all sides, smell it, and then go forward again. 
Thus the animal proceeds until it leads the party to water — guided by some 
mysterious instinct. 

This species is an inhabitant of the countries bordering on the Red Sea 
littoral and the Upper Nile valley, but to reach its habitat we have to travel 
to the southern extremity of the African continent. 

Like all the remaining representatives of the long-tailed baboons, the 
chacma differs from the Arabian baboon by the absence of the mane on the 
neck and shoulders of the males. We have, indeed, in this respect a gradual 
descending series from the gelada baboon, in which both sexes are maned, 
through the Arabian baboon, in which only the males are so ornamented, 
to the chacma, in which both males and females are maneless. In size the 
chacma is one of the largest of the group, and it has been compared in this 
respect, as well as in its bodily strength, with an English mastifif. 

The doguera baboon is a closely allied species or variety, found in 
Abyssinia. It is of a more olive color than the sacred baboon. Dr. Ander- 
son describes a male preserved in the museum at Calcutta as being of a 
uniform yellowish-olive color on the whiskers and all over the body, above 
and below, except on the hands and feet, which are nearly black. The 
coarse hair on the fore-part of the body is about six inches in length, and 
is ashy-grey in color for the first two inches, while the remainder is banded 
with nine rings of orange and black. 

It was long thought that the yellow baboon, which takes its name from 
the pale brownish-yellow hue of the fur, came from Nubia and the Sudan; 
it is now known to occur on the west coast; but there is a baboon found in 




THE MALBROOK, OR ORGAN GRINDER'S MONKEY. 



243 



U4: THR STORY OF THE MONKEY, 

the neighborhood of KiHma-Njaro, on the east coast, which is identified with 
this species. These baboons generally frequent the outlying parts of the 
plantations of the natives, subsisting largely on the maize and other prod- 
ucts stolen therefrom. In certain localities they are extremely numerous, 
going about in troops composed of about fourteen individuals of both sexes 
and of all ages. They have but little fear of man, and instead of running 
away will turn round and face an intruder, with threatening gestures, at a 
distance of only a few yards. The natives are in the habit of driving them 
away from the crops, when the baboons retreat in a leisurely manner, with 
their cheek-pouches crammed full, and often dragging off some of the 
plunder in their hands. 

There are few species of mammals that have given rise to more confusion 
in natural history literature than the Guinea baboon, of which examples 
have been described under at least two distinct names, and regarded as dif- 
ferent species, though it is a well-ascertained fact that the common baboon 
belongs to one and the same species as the Guinea baboon. 

The Guinea baboon is characterized by the uniformly reddish-brown color 
of its fur, which is washed with a yellowish tinge, more especially upon the 
head, shoulders, back, and limbs; the cheeks and throat being paler, and the 
whiskers fawn-colored. As in the chacma, the upper eyelids are white. The 
nose projects rather beyond the upper lip, but is somewhat less elongated 
than in the chacma, and has small swellings corresponding with those so 
enormously developed in the next species. 

As its name indicates, it is an inhabitant of Guinea; and although, judg- 
ing from the number of specimens that are imported into Europe, it must 
be common, there is no record of its habits and mode of life in a state of 
nature. Of those in a state of confinement there are, however, numerous 
accounts, the species being frequently carried about by itinerant showmen. . 

THE INTELLIGENT CHIMPANZEE. 

The chimpanzee is a native of Western Africa, and is common on the 
banks of the Gambia and in Congo. It is also found on the peninsula of 
Malacca and several islands of the Indian ocean. Large bands of these 
formidable apes congregate together and unite in repelling an invader, 
which they do with such fury and courage that even the dreaded elephant 
and lion are driven from their haunts by their united efforts. They live 
principally on the ground, and, as the name imports, spend much of their 



THE STORY OF THE MONKEY. 



245 



time in caves and under rocks. Their height is from four to five feet, but 
they are said not to reach this growth until nine or ten years of age. 

That the chimpanzee was known in Europe as far back as 1598 is proved 
by an account brought back from the Congo by a Portuguese sailor, named 
Eduardo Lopez. In 161 3 there appeared the history of the wanderings of 
an English sailor, named Andrew Battel, in the lower part of Guinea, in 
1590, who appears to have heard of or seen, not only the chimpanzee, 




THE CHIMPANZEE AND ITS HABITS. 



which he designates the Enjocko, but likewise the gorilla, which he calls 
the pongo. Hence the name Jocko so generally given to individuals of the 
monkey tribe. 

In captivity, chimpanzees, when in health, are gentle, intelligent, and 
affectionate, readily learning to feed themselves with a spoon, or to drink 
out of a glass or cup. Unfortunately, however, their span of life in thi§ 



24. THE' STORY OF THE MONKEY. 

country is bdt brief. The longest period that a chimpanzee has hitherto 
lived in a zoological garden at London is eight years; "Sally," who died in 
1 89 1, having been kept there for that time. The description by Dr. J. G. 
Romanes of the mental power of "Sally" is full of interest. This account 
was written after the creature had been nearly six years in the London 
Zoological Gardens. The intelligence of "Sally" is compared by Dr. 
Romanes to that of a child a few months before emerging from the period 
of infancy, and is thus far higher than that of any other mammal (exclusive 
of man). In spite, however, of this relatively high degree of intelligence,- 
the creature's power of making vocal replies to her keepers, or those with 
whom she was brought into contact, were of the most limited kind. Such 
replies were, indeed, restricted to three peculiar grunting noises. One of 
these indicated assent or affirmation; another, of very similar intonation, 
denoted refusal or distrust; while the third, and totally different intonation, 
was used to express thanks or recognition of favors. In disposition "Sally" 
was, like many of her sex, apt to be capricious, and uncertain; although, 
on the whole, she was good-humored and fond of her keepers, with whom 
she was never tired of a kind of bantering play. 

It has always been a matter of surprise that no large man-like ape now 
inhabits the dense tropical forests of India or Burma, which would appear 
to be just as suitable for these creatures as are those of Borneo or Equatorial 
Africa. The discovery in India of a jaw of a large ape apparently belonging 
to the same genus as the chimpanzee shows us, however, that large man-like 
apes must have once roamed over the plains of India. Why chimpanzees, 
together with hippopotami and giraffes, which are likewise found fossil in 
India but are now confined tO' Africa, should have totally disappeared from 
the former country, is, however, one of those puzzling problems connected 
with the distribution of animals which we have but little hope of answering 
satisfactorily. 

THE ORANG-OUTAN. 

The Orang-outan inhabits Borneo and Sumatra. In Borneo there are 
two species of orang, called by the natives the Miaskassar and the Miaspap- 
pan. Some naturalists suppose that the Sumatran orang is also a distinct 
species. 

This is the largest of all the apes, as it is said that orangs have been 
obtained from Borneo considerably above five feet in height. The strength 
of this animal is tremendous: a female snapped a strong spear asunder after 



THE STORY OF THE MONKEY, 



247 



having received many severe wounds. Its arms are of extraordinary length, 
the hands reaching the ground when it stands erect. This length of arm is 
admirably adapted for climbing trees, on which it principally resides. 

When young the orang-outan is very docile, and has been taught to 
make its own bed, and to handle a cup and saucer, or a spoon, with tolerable 
propriety. For the former occupation it proved itself particularly apt, as 
it not only laid its own bed-clothes smooth and comfortable, but exhibited 
much ingenuity in stealing blankets from other beds, which it added to its 
own. A young orang evinced extreme horror at the sight of a small tor- 




YOUNG OURANG-OUTANS AT PLAY. 



toise, and, when the reptile was introduced into its den, stood aghast in ri 
most ludicrously terrified attitude, with its eyes intently fixed on the fright- 
ful object. 

The orangs, like gorillas, go in small family parties, consisting of the 
parents accompanied frequently by from two to four young ones. Although 
they will devour leaves, buds, and young shoots, — more especially those of 
the bamboo, — the chief food of the orang consists of fruits of various kinds, 
the prime favorite being the luscious but ill-smelling durian or jack-fruit. 



248 THE STORY OF THE MONKEY. 

Of this fruit they waste a vast quantity, throwing the rejected rinds on the 
ground below. 

THE ACROBATIC MONKEY. 

The Agile Gibbon is a native of Sumatra. This species, too, is included 
in the man-like apes. It derives its name of Agile, from the wonderful 
activity it displays in launching itself through the air from branch to 
branch. One of these creatures, that was exhibited some time since,, sprang 
with the greatest ease through distances of twelve and eighteen feet; and 
when apples or nuts were thrown to her while in the air, she would catch 
them without discontinuing her course. She kept up a succession of springs, 
hardly touching the branches in her progress, continually uttering a musical 
but almost deafening cry. She was very tame and gentle, and would permit 
herself to be touched or caressed. The height of the gibbon is about three 
feet, and the reach of the extended arms about six feet. The young gibbon 
is of a paler color than its parent. 

THE LONG-NOSE MONKEY. 

The kahau, or proboscis monkey, is a native of Borneo. It derives its 
name from the cry it utters, which is a repetition of the word "kahau." It 
is remarkable for the extraordinary size and shape of its nose, and the 
natives relate that while leaping it holds that organ with its paws, apparently 
to guard it against the branches. It is not an animal of very captivating 
appearance; but when it has been macerated in spirits of wine for a few 
months, its ugliness is quite supernatural. Naturalists formerly supposed 
that there were two species of this animal — the nose of one being aquiline 
and that of the other being slightly turned up. It was discovered, however, 
that the latter animal was only the young kahau, whose little nose had not 
reached its full beauty. The length of the animal from the head to the tip 
of the tail is about four feet four inches; and its general color is a sandy 
red, relieved by yellow cheeks and a yellow stripe over the shoulders. 

THE SACRED MONKEYS OF INDIA. 

The monkey called the Entellus is held sacred in some parts of India, 
particularly in Lower Bengal. The origin of the extreme veneration, which 
multitudes cherish for this animal, is involved in the obscurity of their early 



THE STORY OF THE MONKEY, 



249 




SACRED APES OF INDIA. 



history, and may be traced back to the most remote periods. Some years 
ago, a rajah spent 100,000 rupees in marrying two monkeys, with all the 
parade of a Hindoo wedding. The festivities on such an occasion always 
take place at night. 

On the so-called marriage of the monkeys, there were seen in the pro - 



50 



THE STORY OF THE MONKEY. 



cession, elephants, camels, horses, richly caparisoned, palanquins, flambeaux, 
and lamps. The male monkey was fastened in a gaily-decked palanquin, 
having a crown on his head, with men standing by his side to fan him, as 
they would a human being. Then followed singing and dancing girls in 
carriages, and for twelve days the festivities were carried on at the monkey 
palace. 

THE MARMOSET. 




MARMOSET TEARING PICTURES OF BUGS OUT OF A BOOK AND EATING THEM. 



The marmoset is a most interesting little creature. It is exceedingly 
sensitive to cold, and when out of its own country is usually occupied in 
nestling among the materials for its bed, which it heaps up in one corner 
and out of which it seldom entirely emerges. It will eat almost any article 
of food, but is especially fond of insects, which it dispatches in a very adroit 
manner. It will also eat fruits, especially those of its native country. Its 
fondness for insects has been carried so far that it has been known to pinch 
out the figures of beetles in books and swallow them. 




STORY OF THE ANTELOPE, 



No animal in a wild state appeals more strongly to my sympathy than 
the antelope. I have spent hours watching these timid, harmless, large-eyed 
creatures, of which there are about seventy different species. The love of 
the mother doe for her fawn is sO' tender and gentle as to be almost human, 
and the absolute faith of the little creature in its mother is ideal. 

Although they are so timid and flee at the first approach of danger, there 
are times when certain species of antelope exhibit a high order of courage. 
I was once an eye W'itness to an act of bravery on the part of an antelope, 
a South African gemsbok, that was equal to that of any animal I know. We 
were stalking a lion in Cape Colony, when we saw the big beast suddenly 
crouch in a thicket of wait-a-bit thorns, his gaze intently fixed upon some 
object at right angles to where we were lying. Looking in the same direc: 
tion we saw a pair of gemsboks walking unsuspectingly toward the ambush. 
Just in front of the lion was a huge ant-hill, and toward it came the gems- 
boks, occasionally twitching their black tails; but that was to rid their flanks 
of flies and not from any fear of danger. 

As the antelopes drew near the ant-hill, the lion drew back his head until 
it was nearly concealed under his black, shaggy mane. They could not have 
possibly seen him wdiere he lay, nor he them, and he now appeared to trust 
to his ears to inform him of their approach. 

He waited till both w^re opposite, and broadside toward him, at the 
distance of less than twenty paces from the hill. Then his tail was seen to 
vibrate with one or two quick jerks, his head shot suddenly forth, his body 

251 



252 



THE STORY OF THE ANTELOPE. 



spread out apparently to twice its natural size, and the next moment he rose 
like a bird into the air. 

With one bound he cleared the wide space that separated him from the 
nearest of the gemsboks, alighting on the hindquarters of the terrified 
animal. A single blow of his powerful paw brought the antelope to his 
haunches; and another, delivered almost at the same instant, stretched its 
body lifeless on the plain. 

Without looking after the other, or seeming to care further about it, the 
lion sprang upon the body of his victim, and clutching its throat between 
its jaws, commenced drinking its warm blood. 




THE GEMSBOK SLAVING THE LION. 



It was the bull gemsbok which the lion pulled down, as this w^as the one 
that happened to be nearest the hill. 

,As the Hon sprang upon her companion, the cow, of course, started with 
afifright, and we supposed we would see her the next moment scouring ofif 
over the plain. To our astonishment she did no such thing. Such is not the 
nature of the noble oryx. On the contrary, as soon as she recovered from 
the first moments of alarm, she wheeled around toward the enemy — and, 
lowering her head to the very ground, so that her long horns projected 
horizontally in front, she rushed with all her strength upon the lion. 



THE STORY OF THE ANTELOPE. 



253 



The latter, in full enjoyment of his red draught, saw nothing of this 
manoeuvre. The first intimation he had of it was to feel a pair of spears 
pierced through his ribs, and it is not likely he felt much more. 

For some moments a confused struggle was observed, in which both lion 
and oryx seemed to take part; but the attitudes of both appeared so odd, 




A SOUTH AFRICAN GEMSBOK. 



and changed so rapidly, that we could not tell in what manner they were 
combatinor-. In a few moments the roar of the lion ceased, and we knew that 
he was dead. 

We had crawled closer to witness the result of the battle, and were now 
within easy range *for a shot. One of my Kaffir boys raised his rifle and 



m WE STORY OF THE ANTELOPE. 

aimed at the gemsbok, but before he could pull a trigger, I held up my hand 
in warning. 

"Don't shoot !" I exclaimed at the same time. "That gemsbok is entitled 
to her life, and as far as I am concerned she shall have it." 

We needed venison, too, but I am sure I would not have enjoyed eating 
that noble heroine. 

Antelopes are characterized by their graceful build, and by the head 
being carried considerably above the level of the back. The horns, which 
may or may not be present in the females, are generally long, more or less 
round. They are frequently marked with prominent rings, and have an 
upright direction. Their bony cores, instead of being honeycombed, as in 
the oxen, sheep, and goats, are nearly solid throughout. These animals 
very generally have a gland beneath the eye, by wdiich they are distinguished 
from the oxen and goats; but, as regards their teeth, some of them resemble 
the oxen, while others are more like those of the sheep and goats. 

THE GEMSBOK. 

Under the title of oryx are five species of antelope, found throughout 
the desert regions of Africa, and also in Arabia and Syria. In South Africa 
the best representative of the oryx family is the gemsbok, which stands 
about four feet in height, is greyish in color, becoming white beneath. A 
black stripe on the flanks divides the grey of the sides from the wdiite below^ 
and there is also a black surface on the haunches extending as a line on the 
back, and continued over the w'hole of the tail. In addition to this, there is 
also black on the upper parts of the limbs, on the front of the legs above 
the fetlocks, and along the throat; the throat-stripe dividing and running 
up the sides of the head nearly to the ears. On the face a black stripe runs 
from each horn through the eye nearly to the muzzle, which is connected 
by a narrow stripe w-ith a broad black patch on the center of the forehead. 
The longest male horns of this species I ever saw measured were 42 inches 
in length, while those of the female may reach 46^ inches. Horns have been 
recorded measuring 47!^ inches. 

Gemsboks are generally met with where the country is either completely 
open or covered with stunted scrub. They thrive and attain high condition 
in barren regions where it might be imagined a locust would not find sub- 
sistence; and, burning as is the climate, they are perfectly independent of 
water, which, from my own observation and the repeated reports both of 



The story of the antelope. 



255 



the Boers and aborigines, I am convinced they never by any chance taste. 
The flesh ranks next to the eland. The gemsbok is by no means fleet, and 
it can be run to a standstill by a hunter on foot. 

In Abyssinia and Somaliland as well as on the Red Sea littoral near 
Suakin, the gemsbok is replaced by the beisa, readily distinguished by the 




FEMALE SABRE-HORNED ANTELOPE AND FAWN. 



absence of the tuft of hair on the throat, and by the black patch on the 
front of the face being completely separated from the stripe running through 
the eye. The horns are shorter than those of the gemsbok. The sabre- 
horned antelope differs from the others of the oryx family in its recurved 
scimitar-like horns, and whitish color which sometimes shows a reddish 
tinge. • 



266 



THE STORY OF THE ANTELOPE. 



THE ELAND, 

The African eland is the largest of the antelope tribe. They vary in color 
from a tawny yellow to a slaty blue, while in the extreme northern part of 
their range they are sometimes marked with white stripes. An average-size 
bull eland stands five feet nine inches at the withers and will weigh from 
1,100 to 1,500 pounds. 

Eland are found both in the desert-country, and in wooded districts, both 
hilly and flat. In Nyasaland, their favorite haunts are undulating, well- 




A BUCK ELAND. 



timbered country, where the grass is not too long, and where there are 
intervening open plains; as a rule, they visit the plains at night or in the 
early mornings to drink, and then wander back long distances to the forest, 
where they spend the hot hours of the day. In the great Kalahari Desert, 
where they are still common, the eland go a long period without drinking 
any water, except that which they may obtain by eating watermelons and 
other plants. Eland are generally found in large herds, numbering from 
fifty to upwards of a hundred head, but solitary bulls or small parties of bulls 
are not unfrequently observed. 



THE STORY OF THE ANTELOPE. 



25r 



Elands are generally accompanied by "rhinoceros birds," which, in addi- 
tion to their natural timidity, make them difficult to approach on foot. Con- 
sequently they are generally hunted on horseback. The bulls, when fat, 
can be easily ridden down by a good horse; but the cows have greater speed 
and staying power. When pursued, eland frequently leap high in the air. 
When they have their calves with them, the cows will attack and impale 
dogs on their horns; but at other seasons both sexes are quite harmless. Mn 
Selous states that the flesh of the eland has been very generally over-esti- 




A NILGAI ANTELOPE. 



mated; and during the dry season, when these animals often subsist entirely 
upon leaves, it is quite uneatable. 

THE NILGAI. 

There is not much sport in hunting nilgai, the largest of the Indian 
antelope. In closely settled districts they are as tame as domestic cattle, 
and in the unsettled districts where they are shy, they are easily riddeo down 



25i^ 



THE STORY OP THE ANTELOPE 



by a good horse. They are a poor trophy after they are shot, as the meat 
lacks flavor. 

The nilgai is exclusively a native of India, being entirely unknown even 
in Ceylon. The animal is peculiar in having the fore limbs longer than the 
hinder. 

Nilgai are found either on the plains or in low hills, generally preferring 
ground covered with thin bush, among which are scattered low trees, or 
alternations of scrub-jungle with open grassy plains. They are but seldom 
met with in thick forest, although far from unfrequent on cultivated grounds. 




'"'ii^d^j^' 



SOUTH AFRICAN NATIVE HUNTING GNU. 



Only the males have horns, which are short, smooth and nearly straight, 
directed upward and backward. Nilgai both graze and browse, and in the 
cold season they drink but once in two or three days. 

THE GNU, OR WILDEBEEST. 

Next to a monkey, I believe the gnu or South African wildebeest, as the 
Dutch hunters call them, is the most inquisitive of all animals. 

In ''trecking" across the Transvaal I would frequently come upon herds 
of twenty to fifty. As soon as they caught sight of us they would begin 



THE STORY OF THE ANTELOPE. 



259 



curveting around the wagons, wheeling about in endless circles and cutting 
all sorts of curious capers. 

While I was riding hard to obtain a shot at a herd in front of me, other 
herds ch.arged down wind on my right and left, and, having described a 
number of circular movements, they took up position upon the very ground 
across which I had ridden only a few minutes before. Singly, and in small 
troops of four or five individuals, the old bull wildebeests may be seen 
stationed at intervals throughout the plains, standing motionless during a 




THE BLUE OR BRINDLED GNU. 



whole forenoon, coolly watching with a philosophic eye the movements of 
the other game, uttering a loud snorting noise, and also a short sharp cry 
which is peculiar to them. When the hunter approaches these old bulls, 
they commence whisking their long white tails in a most eccentric manner; 
then, springing into the air, begin prancing and capering, and pursue each 
other in circles at their utmost speed. Suddenly they all pull up together 
to overhaul the intruder, when the bulls will often commence fiehting- in 
the most violent manner, dropping on their knees at every shock; then, 



260 THE STORY OP THE ANTELOPE. 

quickly wheeling about, they kick up their heels, whirl their tails with a 
fantastic flourish, and scour across the plain enveloped in a cloud of dust. 
In addition to their speed, wildebeest are remarkable for their extreme 
tenacity of life; and, owing to the vigorous use they make of their horns, 
are awkward creatures to hunt with dogs. Europeans find them good 
practice in rifle-shooting, as they will stand in herds at a distance which they 
think secure, say three hundred or four hundred yards, and watch the 
passer-by. Only occasionally can they be approached within easy range by 
fair stalking; although they may be killed by watching at their drinking- 
holes at night. During a thunderstorm of unusual intensity, I walked, 
hardly knowing where I was going, right into a herd of gnu. I did not see 
them until I was almost among them; but even had my gun not been hope- 
lessly soaked, the fearful storm made self-preservation, and not destruction, 
one's, chief thought. They were standing huddled in a mass, their heads 
together, and their sterns outwards, and they positively only just moved 
out of my way, much the same as a herd of cattle might have done. 

The faculty of curiosity is largely developed in the gnu, which can never 
resist the temptation of inspecting any strange object, although at the risk 
of its life. When a gnu first catches sight of any unknown being, he sets off 
at full speed, as if desirous of getting to the furthest possible distance from 
the terrifying object. Soon, however, the feeling of curiosity vanquishes 
the passion of fear, and the animal halts to reconnoitre. He then gallops in 
a circle round the cause of his dread. 

The native hunters are enabled to attract a herd. of gnus, feeding out of 
shot, merely by getting up a clumsy imitation of an ostrich, by holding a 
head of that bird on a pole, and making at their back a peacock's tail of 
feathers. The inquisitive animals are so fascinated with the fluttering lure, 
that they actually approach so near as to be easily pierced with an arrow or 
an assegai. 

The gnu, or wildebeest, inhabits Southern Africa. At first sight it is 
difficult to say whether the horse, buffalo, or deer predominates in its form. 
It, however, belongs to neither of these animals, but is one of the bovine 
antelopes. The horns cover the top of the forehead, and then, sweeping 
downwards over the face, turn boldly upwards with a sharp curve. The 
neck is furnished with a mane like that of the horse, and the legs are formed 
like those of a stag. There are two species of wildebeest in South and East 
Africa. The common, or white-tail wildebeest, is strictly South African, 
while the blue or brindled wildebeest never goes south of the Orange River. 



THE STORY OF THE ANTELOPE. 



361 



PALA OR ROY-BOCK. 

The pala or roy-bock is an inhabitant of Southern Africa, where it is seen 
in large herds. It is a remarkably fine animal, measuring three feet in height 
at the shoulder, and being gifted with elegantly shaped horns and a beauti- 
fully tinted coat. The general color of the pala is bay, fading into white on 
the abdomen, the lower part of the tail, and the peculiar disc of lighter-col- 




SOUTH AFRICAN BOSCH BOCK, 



ored hairs which surround the root of the tail in so many antelopes. Its 
specific name, Melampus, is of Greek origin, signifying black-footed, in allu- 
sion to the jetty hue of the back of its feet. 

The horns of this animal are of considerable length, often attaining to 
twenty inches, and are rnther irregular in their growth. They are very dis- 
tinctly marked with Hngs, 



262 THE STORY OF THE ANTELOPE. 

The food of the pala consists chiefly of tender herbage and the young 
twigs of the underwood among which it generally takes up its abode. It is 
hardly so timid as other animals of the same family, and will often allow 
strange creatures to approach the herd without much difficulty. It has a 
curious habit of walkings away when alarmed, in the quietest and most silent 
manner imaginable, lifting up its feet high from the ground, lest it should 
haply strike its foot against a dry twig and give an alarm to its hidden foe. 
Palas have also a custom of walking in single file, each following the steps of 
its leader with blind confidence; and, when they have settled the direction in 
which they intend to march, they adhere to their plan, and will not be turned 
aside even by the presence of human beings. It is generally found in or near 
the district where low wood prevails. 

THE PRONG-BUCK OR AMERICAN ANTELOPE. 

Of all the antelope tribe none afifords the hunter as good sport and as 
fine venison as the antelope found west of the Mississippi River, and known 
to scientists as the prong-buck or the prong-horned antelope. At one time 
it was common as far west as California and Oregon, but it is now found 
only in the Rocky mountain regions and on the plains between those moun- 
tains and the northern section of the Mississippi. It is a graceful, light- 
built animal, standing about two feet ten inches at the shoulder. 

The coloration of the prong-buck is decidedly handsome and striking; 
the general hair of the upper-parts and outer surfaces of the limbs being 
chestnut. The hair on the back of the neck, which is of the general chestnut 
tint, is lengthened into a kind of mane. The face is brownish black; but the 
summit of the head above the eyes, and likewise the ears, cheeks, and chin 
are white. White also prevails on the lower portion of the throat, the under- 
parts, and half of the flanks, and extends upwards to form a large patch on 
the rump which includes the tail. Usually the throat is crossed by three 
russet-yellow bars. The lower portion of the limbs is white. The horns 
are black, save at the tips, where they become yellowish; and their usual 
length is about 12 inches. They are shed once a year. 

The prong-buck or American antelope is shy and timid and can outrun 
the swiftest deer. 

In spite of their extreme speed, prong-buck are but poor jumpers, and 
appear unable to leap over any large object that may be in their path. Their 
inability to leap over high objects may no doubt be attributed to the fact 
that they live upon the plains, where they rarely meet with such obstruc- 



THE STORY OF THE ANTELOPE. 



263 



tions, and so they and their ancestors for untold generations have had no 
occasion to overleap high obstructions, and thus from disuse they do not 
know how to do it. 

If a prong-buck on the plains desires to cross the railroad track, when 
alarmed by the cars, as is sometimes the case, he will strain every muscle 
to outrun the train and cross ahead of it, as if he suspected a purpose to cut 
him off from crossing; and thus many an exciting race has been witnessed 
between muscle and steam. When excited during its gambols with its fel- 
lows, or by the emotions of rage or fear, the appearance of the prong-buck 




rK(,)Mj-UL lK, UK AMERICAN ANTELOPE. 



•alters considerably. On such occasions the hair of the white patch on the 
rump rises up on each side of the backbone, and remains as erect and stiff as 
bristles. 

There are many stories about the great distance that ostriches can see, 
but the ostrich is near-sighted when compared with the American antelope. 
I have never had any difficulty in getting wathin two hundred yards of an 
ostrich under favorable conditions, but during my early experience I never 
got closer than six hundred yards to an American antelope. Even at that 
distance the animal wa.? wide awake and fully able to take care of itself. 



264 



THE STORY OF THE ANTELOPE. 



The only antelope fhat excels the prong-buck in speed is the Indian 
black-bnck. This fact is proved by coursing the animals with greyhounds. 
A swift and tough greyhound will overtake and pull down a prong-buck, but 
I have never known one to catch a black-buck in the open. 

The hide of the prong-buck is practically worthless on account of the 
brittleness of the hairs. 

INDIAN BLACK BUCK. 



i-ryf 




9b r 




! *>k3Wl 


msTv 






^T '■ *#?! 



INDIAN BLACK BUCK. 



The handsomely colored black buck, or Indian antelope, stands about 
32 inches at the shoulder. The usual length of the horn varies from 16 to 
20 inches. The upper parts of the animal are jet black and the lower parts 
white. 

This antelope never enters forest nor high grass, and is but rarely seen 
amongst bushes. When not much pursued or fired at, it will often allow 



THE STORY OF THE ANTELOPE. 



265 



men to come in the open within about one hundred and fifty yards, some- 
times nearer. Carts and natives can approach still closer. The black buck 
feeds at all hours, although it generally rests during the middle of the day. 
In certain districts, where there is no fresh water except in deep wells, 
it is certain that these animals never drink; but several observers have proved 
that in other places they, at least occasionally, drink freely. Like the 
springbok, the black buck frequently leaps high in the air when running. 




THE AUDA.X, EGYPTIAN ANTELOPE. 

The speed and endurance of these animals are well known; and it is 
but very seldom that they are pulled down on good ground by greyhounds. 
In heavy sand, or on soft ground during the rains, they are, however, easily 
overtaken by good dogs; and wounded bucks may be ridden down. The 
favorite method of hunting them, however, is with the chita, or hunting 
leopard. 

Young fa>^7ns are generally concealed by the does in long grass. The 



266 



THE STORY OF THE ANTELOPE. 



bucks utter a short grunt, and the does a kind of hissing sound when 
alarmed. 

THE ADDAX ANTELOPE. 

The addax, or spiral horned antelope, is a native of Northern Africa, 
ranging from the Nile to Lake Tchad and Senegal. It is a genuine desert 
antelope. Sometimes it is called the Mendes antelope, because in the 
Egyptian temple of Mendes are many images of Egyptian gods wearing head 




FEMALE SWAMP ANTELOPE. 



dresses of horns which were spiral shaped. The addax is of uniformly Tight 
color, with a brownish grey mane. It has a huge tuft of hair on the forehead 
which looks as if it had received the attention of a hair dresser. The ancient 
Egyptians kept the addax as a domestic animal. 

THE SWAMP ANTELOPE. 

The harnessed antelope of West Africa greatly resembles the kuau or 
pigmy antelope, The species shown in the accompanying illustration is 



THE STORY OF THE ANTELOPE. 



367 



from the Camerun mountains and the Gabun district. This antelope has 
white spots on the head and stripes on the body, but differs from other har- 
nessed antelopes in the extremely long hoofs, which are evidently specially 
ada-pted for walking on swampy ground. The lateral hoofs are large and elon- 
gated. The male stands about three and one-half feet at the shoulder; and is 
characterized by the absence of a fringe of long hair on the throat, and the 




A YOUNG BLESSBOK. 



dark olive tint of the coat. In the female the ground-color of the fur is bright 
rufous, ornamented, as in the male, with white spots on the face and stripes on 
the body. The horns of the male are generally about i8 or 19 inches in 
length, measured in a straight line. Little or nothing appears to be known as 
to the habits of this species in its wild state. Its common name is swamp 
antelope, 



268 



THE STORY OF THE ANTELOPE. 



THE BLESSBOK. 

The blessbok and the closely-alHed bontebok, are smaller South African 
antelopes. In both species the horns are compressed, with the rings strongly 
marked. For a short distance they run almost parallel, and then curve 
backwards. Their usual length is about 15 inches. Both species are charac- 
terized by their brilliant purple-red color, and the broad white "blaze" down 




A WATER BUCK. 



the face, from which the blessbok takes its name. In height the blessbok 
stands about 3 feet 2 inches or rather more at the withers, but the bontebok 
may reach from 3 feet 2 inches to 3 feet 1 1 inches. 

The blessboks resemble the smaller springbok in manners and habits. 
They differ from the latter in the determined and invariable way in which 



THE STORY OP THE ANTELOPE. 



269 



they scour the plains, right in the wind's eye, and also in the manner in 
which they carry their noses close to the ground. 

The water buck stands upwards of 4 feet or more at the withers, and 
has, long and very coarse hair, which varies in color from reddish brown 
to dark gray, with an oval ring of white on the buttocks, a white gorget on 
the throat, a streak of the same color on part of each eye, and some white 




FEMALE NlLGAIo 



near the muzzle. Good horns average about 28 inches along the curve. 
Water buck inhabit Southern and Eastern Africa to some distance north 
of the Zambesi; and they are never found in herds of more than twenty 
individuals. The water buck is most partial to steep, stony hills, and is 
often found at a distance of more than a mile from the nearest river, for 
which, however, it always makes when pursued. 



sro 



THE STORY OF THE AMT ELOPE. 



The hartebeest of South Africa gets its name from its supposed likeness 
to a stag. 

All these animals differ from wildebeests by their long and pointed heads, 
ending in a narrow muzzle; their ringed horns, the absence of a mane on 
the neck or throat, and their shorter and less thickly-haired tail. 

The true hartebeest is a South African species, not ranging as far north 
as Matabeleland and Mashonaland. This fine animal stands about four feet 
at the withers; its general color being grayish brown, with a pale yellowish 




THE HARTEBEEST. 



patch on each side of the haunches, and black markings on the forehead and 
nose. The hair of the face is reversed as high up as the eyes, or even to the 
horns. The horns are long and boldly ringed, diverging from one another 
in the form of a V, w'ith their tips directed backwards at a right angle, 
and the bases curved away behind the plane of the forehead. Their length 
varies in good specimens from 20 to 24 inches. It is one of the fastest ante- 
lopes in Africa, and possesses such strength as to render it almost impossible 
for anything under a whole pack of strong and swift hounds to bring it to bay. 




STORY OF THE RHINOCEROS. 



The rhinoceros is favorite game both in India and Ah'ica. It has a 
ferocious disposition and is hard to kill. The easiest and least dangerous 
method is for the hunter to conceal himself and shoot it when it comes 
to drink at the pool. The true sportsman prefers to hunt it on horseback 
with dogs. 

As the eyes of the rhinoceros are very small, it seldom turns its head 
and therefore sees nothing but what is before it. It is to this that it owes 
its death, and never escapes if there be so much plain as to enable the 
horses of the hunters to get before it. Its pride and fury then makes it 
lay aside all thoughts of escaping, except by victory over its enemy. For 
a moment it stands at bay; then at a start runs straight forward at the 
horse which is nearest. The rider easily avoids the attack by turning 
short to one side. This is the fatal instant; a naked man who is mounted 
behind the principal horseman, drops off the horse, and, unseen by the 
rhinoceros, gives it, with a sword, a stroke across the tendon of the 
heel, which renders it incapable either of flight or resistance. 

Several travelers have mentioned that there arc certain birds which con- 
stantly attend the rhinoceros, and give him warning of approaching danger. 
Their accounts were* either received with silent contempt, or treated with 

271 



g72 THE STORY OF THE RHINOCEROS. 

open ridicule, as preposterous extensions of the traveler's privilege of ro- 
mancing. I can bear witness to the truth of these reports. Once while 
hunting the rhinoceros in Africa, I saw a huge female lying in the jungle 
asleep. My first thought was to photograph her and then attack her. T 
began to crawl toward her, but before I could reach the proper distance 
several rhinoceros-birds, by which she was attended, warned her of the 
impending danger, by sticking their bills into her ear, and uttering their 
harsh, grating cry. Thus aroused, she suddenly sprang to her feet, and 
crashed away through the jungle at a rapid trot, and I saw no more of 
her. 

These rhinoceros-birds are constant attendants upon the hippopotamus 
and the four varieties of rhinoceros, their object being to feed upon the 
ticks and other parasitic insects that swarm upon these animals. They are 
of a grayish color, and are nearly as large as a common thrush; their voice 
is very similar to that of the mistletoe-thrush. Many a time have these 
.ever-watchful birds disappointed me in my stalk, and tempted me to invoke 
an anathema upon their devoted heads. They are the best friends the 
rhinoceros has, and rarely fail to awaken him, even in his soundest nap. 
"Chukuroo" perfectly understands their warning, and springing to his 
feet, he generally first looks about him in every direction, after which he 
invariably makes of. 

Next to the elephant in size, comes the rhinoceros, which with the 
hippopotamus, lays claim to bulk and ferocity unequalled by any other mem- 
ber of the animal kingdom. The rhinoceros is found in the rivers of Cen- 
tral Africa and Southern Asia. It can only live in tropical climates. 

The length of the rhinoceros is usually about twelve feet, and this is 
also nearly the girth of its body. The skin, which is of a blackish color, is 
disposed, about the neck, into large plaits or folds. A fold of the same 
kind passes from the shoulders to the fore legs; another from the hind 
part of the back to the thighs. The skin is naked, rough, and covered with 
a kind of tubercles, or large callous granulations. Between the folds, and 
under the belly, it is soft, and of a light rose-color. The horns are com- 
posed of a closely-packed mass of horn fibers, growing from the skin, and 
having no connection with the bones of the skull, although there are prom- 
inences on the latter beneath each horn. Although the African species 
are entirely dependent on their enormous horns, as weapons of offense and 
defense, the Asiatic kinds, in which the horns are smaller, seem to rely 
chiefly upon their sharply-pointed lower tusks, which are capable of inflicting 



THE STORY OF THE RHINOCEROS. 



^n 



terrific gashes. All are mainly abroad at night, and while some resemble 
the tapirs in frequenting tall grass-jungles and swampy districts, others 
seem to prefer more or less open plains. Their food is entirely vegetable; 
but whereas some species live almost exclusively on grass, the food of others 
consists mainly of twigs and small boughs of trees. At the present day 
these animals are restricted to South-Eastern Asia and Africa. 

The single-horned rhinoceros is not exceeded in size by any land 
animal except the elephant, and in strength and power it gives place to none. 
Its nose is armed with a formidable weapon, a hard and solid horn, some- 




GREAT INDIAN RHINOCEROS. 



times more than three feet in length, and, at the base, eighteen inches in 
circumference; and with this it is able to defend itself against the attack of 
every ferocious animal. 

The body of the rhinoceros is defended by a skin so hard as to be almost 
impenetrable, except in the under parts, by either knife or spear. 

Some hunters have created the impression that the hide of the rhinoceros 
will turn a leaden bullet and sometimes an iron one. This is a popular error, 
for a common leaden ball will pierce the hide at a distance of thirty or 
forty paces, especially if a double charge of powder be used, which is the 



^u 



TM£ STORY OP THE RHINOCEROS. 



cusicm with all rhinoceros hunters. The most deadly aim is just behind 
the shoulder. The skull is too thick and the brain pan too small for a 
successful shot at the head. 

I once had an excellent opportunity to observe the fighting quality of 
the rhinoceros in conflict with other animals. It was in the province of 
Oude. I had become separated from my men and had lost my bearings. 
Night overtook me, and I decided to camp on the banks of a lagoon beneath 




INDIAN RHINOCEROS FIGHTING AN ELEPHANT. 



a huge peepul tree. How long I had slept, I know^ not, but the moon was 
almost perpendicular when I awoke, and it was as bright as day. A sud- 
den harsh scream was the cause of my rousing up. I knew it well. 

It w^as the trumpet of an elephant! 

Instinctively I bounded to my feet, and looked around me in consterna- 
tion. I was in the midst of a herd of wild elephants! 

The danger of my position flashed on me in an instant. The wild 



THE STORY OF THE RHINOCEROS. 



275 



elephant is a dangerous brute at the best of times, but at night, and in 
herds, he tramples over everything, and feels more at home and free from 
danger than in the day, apparently. 

But these elephants did not seem to be aware of my presence. They 
were evidently excited about something else, and had not observed me, 
asleep in the shadow of the peepul. 

They w^ere rushing about in the open ground, most of those I could 
see being females, as I knew by the absence of the tusks, and some sort 




INDIAN RHINOCEROS AFTER SHEDDING ITS HORN. 



of contest seemed to be going on among them. What it was, I could not 
see at first. 

At last a chorus of trumpetings and vicious pig-like squeals broke out 
from the center of the moving mass, and I saw the female elephants scatter 
right and left in dismay. 

Then I discerned a terrible conflict. A huge bull elephant rushed for- 
ward, with his trunk curled up tightly behind the long formidable tusks 
out of harm's way, striving to pierce a strange antagonist. 

A long, loAv, uncouth-looking Jjeast, of some five feet in height at the 



2t6 THE STORY OF THE RHINOCEROS. 

shoulder, aiid shaped much Hke an immense hog, was running full tilt at 
the old elephant. 

The short, upright horn on the snout, the contour of the animal, and 
the loose folds of skin that covered his ribs, proclaimed that most dangerous 
of all animals, the Indian rhinoceros. 

If it had been alone, and I had met it, I should have counted myself 
lost, such is the sullen and vindictive nature of this horrible beast. It is 
the only animal known that will attack man habitually, wherever met, and 
all the other wild beasts of India fear and avoid it. 

But for the present the attention of the rhinoceros was fully engaged. 
Besides the old bull now charging at him, another younger one was skulk- 
ing around to take him in the rear, and a third lay close by, with his entrails 
gushing out of a frightful wound inflicted by the deadly horn. As I 
looked, the old bull elephant made his charge, that seemed as if it would 
carry everything before it. 

But the rhinoceros, with surprising agility for a creature of such unwieldy 
appearance, leaped actively to one side, and, running around, tried hard 
to get in at the unprotected flank of the elephant. The latter as sharply 
threw his hind-quarters around, and received the pig-like brute on his tusks. 
But, deprived of the impetus of his charge, he was unable to pierce the tough 
hide of the rhinoceros, which is thick enough to turn a leaden bullet at 
close cpiarters. 

Then the two stood head to head for some minutes, the rhinoceros striv- 
ing to wriggle his way between the forelegs of the elephant, to use his horn 
with effect. The elephant, on his part, strove hard to pin the rhinoceros to 
the earth, but in vain. 

Presently I noticed the second elephant. He was charging, and close 
to the rhinoceros. The latter saw him, too, and suddenly broke away from 
his first antagonist, rushing to meet the second. The young bull charged 
gallantly, but he was not up to the tricks of his wily adversary. The 
rhinoceros swerved, as he came, and the excited elephant missed his mark, 
lumbering past in vain effort. Not so the rhinoceros. As quick as thought 
he rushed in at the unguarded side of his heedless foe, and I could see him 
working away at the elephant's side, like a pig rooting. The elephant gave 
a hoarse roar of pain, and tried to turn, but the active rhinoceros was too 
quick for him, and he fell down, helpless and dying. 

And now came the turn of the old bull. Cautious and wary, he watched 
his opportunity, and rushed at the rhinoceros from the side. The latter, 



THE STORY OF THE RHINOCEROS. 



277 



owing to his engagement with his other enemy, and his somewhat defective 
vision, did not see him till too late. 

The great bull elephant thundered on like an avalanche, and in an 
instant more the terrible tusks, nearly seven feet in length in the clear, as 
I judged, were buried in the side of the redoubtable rhinoceros. 

A shrill squeal of pain from the latter, and he tried in vain to extricate 
himself. The battle was over. He had slain two elephants, and died game 
himself. 

I cannot tell you the absorbing interest with which I had watched this 




TWO-HORNED AFRICAN RHINOCEROS. 



curious conflict. True I was an unwilling spectator, for I did not dare to 
move out of the shadow of the tree, for fear of attracting notice. Now, 
however, an idea struck me. 

Excited and furious as the old bull was, it w^as probable that the flush of 
his victory might make him tenfold more dangerous to me. 

The battle had moved so close to me, during the vicissitudes of its 
varying fortune,, that the last elephant, in his fall, had almost brushed the 
foliage of a bush I stood behind. My resolution was taken in an instant. 



278 THE STORY OF THE RHINOCEROS. 

I must kill the old bull, or be killed myself almost inevitably. He was 
not ten feet from me, and striving to pull clear from the body of the 
rhinoceros, which he had pinned into the very ground. 

I ran round the fallen elephant, and, before he could draw clear, I stood 
almost touching his temple with my rifle. 

One flash! It was enough! Struck through the brain, the old bull 
dropped instantaneously, and I was safe! 

The female elephants, panic-stricken at the noise and the flash, scattered 
in all directions in dismay. 

In five minutes I was alone! 

In Southeastern Africa both species of rhinoceros generally leave their 
lairs about four o'clock in the afternoon, or, in districts where there are many 
human beings, somewhat later. They commence feeding in the direction of 
their drinking places, to which they travel by regular beaten paths, and arrive 
sit the same somewhere about dark. If the drinking place is a mudhole they 
frequently refresh themselves with a roll, after drinking their fill. They 
then start for their favorite thorn feeding grounds, where they remain till 
daybreak, when they generally again drink. At an earlier or later hour after 
this, the time being to some extent dependent on the freedom of the district 
from human intrusion, they retire to their sleeping places, which they reach 
at any rate before the heat of the day. The lair is always in an extremely 
sheltered and deeply-shaded spot, and so heavily do they slumber that a 
practiced stalker could almost touch them with the muzzle of a gun, unless 
they are awakened by the birds which always accompany them. 




THE STORY OF THE MUSK-OX 



As every school boy knows, the toad has a remarkable power of expan- 
sion, which is used in time of danger to terrify the enemy. This is done by 
inflation and probably does deter the small snake from attempting to swal- 
low the enlarged toad. The musk-ox has a similar habit of showing his ugly 
head lowered as though about to charge whenever he scents danger, but the 
instant he is attacked he seeks safety in flight. The animal is found only in 
Arctic America and exhales a strong musky odor at certain seasons of the 
year. It is a heavy-built, but not large creature with short legs, and a very 
lengthy brown hairy^-coat, which almost reaches to the ground. Its horns 
are very similar in form to those of the Cape buffalo, and in the bulls they 
meet in the middle line of the forehead. The tail is very short, being entirely 
hidden by the fur of the haunches. 

The musk-ox herd together in bands, and generally frequent barren 
grounds during the summer months, keeping near the rivers, but retire to 
the woods in winter. They seem to be less watchful than most other wild 
animals, and when grazing are not difficult to approach, provided the hunters 
go against the wind. When two or three men get so near a herd as to fire 
at them from different points, these animals, instead of separating or running 
away, huddle closer together, and several are generally killed. The musk- 
ox feed on the same substances as the reindeer; and the prints of the feet 

279 



280 



THE STORY OF THE MUSK-OX. 



of these two animals are so much aUke, that it requires the eye of an experi- 
enced hunter to distinguish them. 

The musk-ox is about two-thirds the size of the American bison, but 
from its long coat of hair looks larger than it really is. In appearance the 
animal has been compared to a large hairy ram; and it resembles the sheep 
in the marked convexity of the profile of the face and the hairy muzzle. 

The musk-ox feeds on grass and moss during one part 'of the year, and 




HEAD OF BULL MUSK-OX. 



on lichens during the other part. Notwithstanding the shortness of its 
limbs, it gallops with great speed, and the facility with which it climbs moun- 
tains can only be compared to that of goats. 

Occasionally the Esquimaux undertake an expedition into the interior for 
the purpose of hunting the musk-ox for the sake of its warm fur, which is 
used either for their own bedding, or as an article of barter. The animals are 
hunted by means of dogs, each hunter taking two or three of these animals 



THE STORY OF THE MUSK-OX. 



281 



with their sledge-traces attached, and thus allowing himself to be pulled 
along till within a short distance of the quarry. The dit^culty is then to slip 
the dogs at the right moment without allowing their traces to drag behind 
them, and thus be liable to be trodden on by the bayed musk-oxen; but 
clever hunters obviate this by tying the traces in a bundle on the backs of 
the dogs just before they are slipped. When bayed and surrounded, the 
members of the herd are shot down by the score, the great object being to 
kill each animal outright, as otherwise there is great danger of its struggles 




MUSK OXEN AT BAY. 



inducing a stampede among the herd, which would involve another hunt. 
Sometimes, however, the herd, even after having made a bolt, will return 
to the spot where their comrades have fallen. When scenting danger, the 
musk-oxen always retreat to some elevation near by, and upon the approach 
of the enemy they form in a perfect line, their heads toward their foe; or, 
if attacked at more than one point, they form a circle, their glaring, blood- 
shot eyes restlessly watching the attack; and I think it would go hard with 



282 THE STORY OF THE MUSK-OX. 

the man or beast who, under such circumstances, might come within reach 
of their broad horns or hard hoofs. 

One of them — the oldest of the herd — places himself in front, like a 
general "at the head of his army, and advances cautiously to reconnoitre the 
enemy, watching attentively each least movement on the part of the hunters. 
This survey being accomplished, he retires to his post, and awaits the 
attack. Then it is that this animal appears in all his majestic beauty, and, 
when the hunter finds himself for the first time in his presence, he must 
muster up his courage and strengthen his nerves. 

But, although seemingly so terrible, these animals, either stupid or over- 
confident in their strength, allow the hunters to approach within a short 
distance, and then, at the first gunshot, the whole herd takes flight, aban- 
doning the dead and the wounded. I have often seen five or six hunters 
destroy a herd of a score of them. On one occasion only have I seen one 
of these animals charge; it is true that the poor beast had twelve balls in his 
body, and, being unable to fly, he defended himself to the last moment. 

Another time I found them of a different temper. Singling one of the 
herd, I sent three bullets into him, but the ox, instead of flight, turned on 
me, followed by the herd, and I owed my safety entirely to a large fragment 
of rock, behind which I took refuge, the animal's head coming in contact 
with it with a force so prodigious that he was actually thrown upon his 
haunches. 




THE STORY OF THE GIRAFFE. 



One of the most curious sights I ever witnessed was a giraffe drinking. 
It was on the edge of Kalahari Desert in South Africa. I had gone into 
camp near a stream, and while my men were preparing the evening meal, I 
was reclining near a clump of bushes, enjoying my pipe' — a Boer fashion of 
smoking before meals, as well as after — when I heard a noise near the stream 
below me. Looking in that direction I saw a pair of full grown young 
giraffes that had stopped at the edge of the stream and were preparing to 
drink. 

Although they have such long necks they are not long enough to reach 
the ground when the giraffe is standing in an ordinary position. 

The male giraffe placed one forefoot slightly in front of the other and 
then began straddling his forelegs wide apart. . Little by little with a jerky 
motion he spread his legs until they were far enough apart to enable him to 
reach the water, but he made three attempts before he was successful. He 
was such a comical sight that I burst out laughing. They heard me, looked 
up and saw me, and then took to their heels. 

My native men had told me that the giraffe never drinks, but I knew 

then that they were mistaken. It is certain, however, that the giraffes of 

the North Kalahari Desert will go from seven to eight months without 

water. 

The giraffe is the tallest, most gracefu. and one of the most remarkable 

283 



284 



THE STORY OF THE GIRAFFE. 



of all animals. It belongs to a family apart from any other in natural his- 
tory. The chief point of contrast, and one which has been the source of 
much discussion among scientific men, is the pair of horn-like appendages 
on the top of the giraffe's head. As it is largely owing to the pecuHar nature 
of these appendages that the giraffe is referred to a distinct family, they 
require somewhat fuller notice. These horns, as they may be conveniently 
called, are only a few inches in length, and are present in both sexes, making 




HABITS OF THE GIRAFFE. 



their appearance even before birth. They are at first entirely separate from 
the bones of the skull, although in later life completely uniting with them. 
They arc thus essentially different from the horn-cores of the oxen and their 
allies, from which they are likewise distinguished by being invested with skin 
instead of horn. 

This beautiful and extraordinary animal is found only in South Africa. 



THE STORY OP THE GIRAPfE. 



g8J 



In the opinion of modern naturalists, it holds a place by itself between the 
deer and antelopes; it forms, at all events, a group to which no other animals 
belong. The height of the giraffe varies from thirteen to eighteen feet. Its 
beautiful long neck enables it to browse on the leaves of the trees on which 
it feeds. It is very dainty while feeding, and plucks the leaves one by one 
with its long, flexible tongue. The females are of lower stature, and more 
delicately formed than the males. 

The movements of the giraffe are very peculiar, the limbs .of each side 




GIRAFFES OF THE KALAHARI DESERT. 



appearing to act together. It is very swift, and can outrun a horse, especially 
if it can get among broken ground and rocks, over which it leaps with a 
succession of frog-like hops. 

The senses of both sight and hearing are highly developed ; and the lofty 
position of the head gives to the soft and liquid eyes a wide field of view. 
The animal's only means of defense is by kicking out with its legs; and the 
blows thus delivered are of terrific force and power. This mode of attack is 



286 THE STORY OP THE GtRAPPE. 

employed by the cow in defending her young, and Hkewise in the contests 
which take place among the males during the pairing season. 

Some writers have discovered ugliness and a want of grace in the giraffe, 
but I consider that he is one of the most strikingly beautiful animals in the 
creation; and when a herd is seen scattered through a grove of the pic- 
turesque parasol-topped acacias which adorn their native plains, and on 
whose uppermost shoots they are enabled to browse through the colossal 
height with which nature has so admirably endowed them, he must indeed 
be slow of conception who fails to discover both grace and dignity in all 
their movements. 

As in the case of most wild animals, the surroundings of the giraffe are 
a protection to him. Among the great South African forests, where innum- 
erable blasted and weather-beaten trunks and stems occur, I have repeatedly 
been in doubt as to the presence of a troop, until I had recourse to my field 
glass, and I have known even the practiced eye of the natives deceived, at 
one time mistaking these trunks for giraffes, and again confounding real 
giraffes with these aged- veterans of the forest. The dappled hide of the 
giraffe blends harmoniously with the splashes of light and shade formed by 
the sun glinting through the foliage of the trees beneath which the animals 
take their stand, and thus intensifies the illusion. 

Giraffes range in herds of sixteen to one hundred. They are hunted 
principally for their hides, which are worth from twenty-five to forty dollars 
each, 

I never shot one of these harmless, beautiful creatures, although I have 
had many opportunities. 




THE STORY OF THE FOX. 



Fox-hunting is a common but exciting sport in both England and 
America. Both the red and the gray fox leave a trail that is easily fol- 
lowed by the hounds. The well-known scent of the fox is secreted as it 
runs and is easily detected by the human as w'ell as the canine nose. There 
is no doubt that the natural cunning of the fox has been greatly increased 
by long experience in matching its wits against dogs and hunters, for in 
countries w^here the fox is not hunted it is far less cunning than either the 
gray or red fox of America and England. 

The reds are bolder in pursuit, and hunt over a much greater territory 
than the grays. Whether the grays ever climb trees in pursuit of prey I 
am uncertain, but they take to a tree as readily as a cat when run hard by 
hounds. I think it nearly certain that they climb for persimmons and 
grapes. Red foxes never climb trees under any circumstances; when hard 
run they go to earth. Gray foxes run before hounds only a short distance, 
doubling constantly and for a short time, when they either hole in a tree, 
or climb one. I have known the red fox to run straight away nearly 
twenty miles. Very commonly they run eight or ten miles away, and 
then run back in a parallel course. I have known them to run the four 
sides of a square. It is doubtful whether a first-rate specimen of the red 
fox, taken at his best in point of condition, can either be killed or run to 
earth by any pack of hounds living, such are his matchless speed and en- 

287 



288 



THE STORY OF THE FOX. 



durance. It is but a sorry pack which fails to kill or tree a gray fox iii 
an hour's run. The young of the gray fox closely resemble small blackish 
puppies; those of the red fox are distinctly fox-like from the hour of their 
birth. 

Many tales are related of the fox's cunning when pursued, such as 
driving another fox out of its home, and forcing it to substitute itself as 
the chase; diving into a heap of manure, so that the dogs could not perceive 
its scent; jumping over a wall, running a little way, coming back again, 
and lying under the wall until all the dogs had passed, and then leaping 



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RED FOXES IN WINTER. 



a second time over the same place where it had passed before, and making 
off on its old track. 

On the banks of the Kentucky River rise huge rocky bluffs, many 
feet in height. A fox that lived near this river was constantly hunted, and 
as regularly lost over the bluff. Now, nothing short of wings would have 
enabled the animal to escape with life down a perpendicular cliff. At last 
I determined to discover the means by which the animal baffled all of us, 
and I concealed myself near the bluff. 



THE STORY OF THE FOX. 



289 



Accordingly, in good time the fox came to the top of the cHff and 
looked over. He then let himself down the face of the cliff by a movement 
between a leap and a slide, and landed on a shelf not quite a foot in width 
about ten feet down. 

The fox then disappeared in a hole above the shelf. On examination 
the shelf turned out to be the mouth of a wide fissure in the rock, into 
which the fox always escaped. 




ARCTIC FOX WITH MURRE'S EGG. 



But how was he to get out again? He might slide down ten feet, but 
he could never leap ten feet from a ten-inch shelf up the face of a per- 
pendicular rock. This impossibility caused me to make a search, and at 
length I discovered an easier entrance into the cave from the level ground. 

The fox w^as too wise to use that entrance when the hounds were be- 
hind him, so he was accustomed to cut short the scent by dropping down 



O90 THE STORY OF THE FOX. 

the rock, and then, when all the dogs were at the edge of the cliff, he 
walked out at his leisure by the other entrance. 

The fox is a native of almost every quarter of the globe; it is of so 
wild and savage a nature, that it is impossible fully to tame him. He is 
esteemed the most sagacious and crafty of all the beasts of prey. The 
former quality he shows in his mode, of providing for himself an asylum, 
where he retires from pressing dangers, dwells, and brings up his young; 
and his craftiness is discovered by his schemes to catch lambs, geese, hens, 
all kinds of small birds, rabbits and field mice. 

When it is possible for him conveniently to do so, the fox forms his 
burrow near the border of a wood, in the neighborhood of some farm or 
village. He there listens to the crowing of the cocks, and the cries of the 
poultry. He scents them at a distance; he chooses his time with judgment; 
he conceals his road, as well as his design; he slips forward with caution, 
sometimes even trailing his body; and seldom makes a fruitless expedition. 
If he can leap the wall, or creep iii underneath, he ravages the barn-yard, 
puts all to death, and retires softly with his prey; which he either hides 
under the adjacent herbage, or carries off to his kennel. 

With regard to the caution displayed by foxes in taking a bait, I once 
had the good fortune of observing, on a winter evening, a fox which 
for many preceding days had been allured with loop baits, and as often 
as it ate one it sat comfortably down, wagging his brush. The nearer it 
approached the trap, the longer did it hesitate to take the baits, and the 
oftener did it make the tour round the catching-place. When arrived near 
the trap, it squatted down, and eyed the bait for ten minutes at least; 
whereon it ran three or four times round the trap, then it stretched out 
one of its fore-paws after the bait, but did not touch it; again a pause, 
during which the fox stared immovably at the bait. At last, as if in 
despair, the animal made a rush, and was caught by the neck. 

The kit fox is the smallest and prettiest of North American foxes. It 
lives in an open, treeless district and makes its burrow in the ground. The 
back and tail are dark gray and the under parts white. 

The Arctic fox, which is found all over the Arctic region, differs from 
all other members of the fox family, particularly in its change of dress 
from summer to winter. In summer it is bluish gray on the back, and 
white beneath. In the winter its coat turns to a pure wdiite, so that it 
can scarcely be distinguished from its snowy surroundings. In the long 
Arctic nights the hunter constantly hears its yapping bark. In the sum- 



THE STORY OF THE FOX, 



391 



mer it preys upon the numerous land and aquatic birds. What it lives 
on in winter when the birds have left for a southern latitude no one 
seems to know, although it is believed that, like the squirrel, they lay by 
a store of provisions during- the summer months. The Arctic fox is 
fond of bird's eggs as well as of birds, and I once shot one which had a 
murre's egg in its mouth. 

In Asia there are several breeds of desert foxes, the largest specimens 




AFRICAN ASSE FOX. 



having a striped appearance. In Central Asia we find the Corsac fox, of 
a paler color, white under parts, a black-tipped tail, and lacking the stripe 
of the desert fox. 

It is a thin-brained creature, possessing none of the cunning of the red 
and gray foxes of Europe and America. It is too lazy to make its own 
burrow, and finds its home in the burrow of the marmot, which that animal 
has either deserted or from which he has been evicted. 

Of the true foxes the pretty little Indian fox is the smallest, measuring 



2D2 



THE STORY OF THE FOX. 



only twenty inches from the tip of the snout to the root of the tail. Its 
fur is gray, tinged with red. It is by no means timid, and I have shot 
one that walked up boldly to my camp. Its burrow is in the open plain, 
and it lives on lizards, rats, crabs, white ants and various insects. 

The Indian fox has no scent, and therefore is seldom hunted with 
hounds. 

Another small and pretty member of the fox family is the fennec, of 
Northern Africa. It has enormous ears for such a small animal. The color 




FENNECS, OR AFRICAN FOXES. 



of the fur varies from fawn to buff, the under parts being wdiite, and the 
tail black. 

Like the common fox, the fennec makes a burrow^ which is generally 
in the tufts of low plants in the desert. The inside of the burrow is lined 
with feathers, hair, and soft vegetable substances, and is remarkable for its 
cleanliness. The burrows are made with wonderful rapidity — so quickly,, 
indeed, that the animal seems to sink into the ground. 




THE STORY OF THE SEAL. 



When the killing of wild animals is done for commercial purposes only 
it is deprived of all elements of sport and becomes merely a trade or occupa- 
tion. 

The true sportsman, therefore, takes no enjoyment in "sealing," as 
the killing of seals is called, yet the seal i*s by far the best of the fur-bearing 
animals. It possesses remarkable intelligence and is of an afifectionate dis- 
position. 

The best skins are alTorded by the young seals, and these are prepared 
for use by the inner layer of the skin being shaved away with a sharp knife, 
thus causing the long hairs, which are deeper rooted than the woolly underfur, 
to fall out. 

During the early part of the last century fur seals existed in countless 
numbers in many parts of the world, but human greed and folly have suc- 
ceeded in so reducing their numbers in most regions that their pursuit is 
no longer profitable. Fortunately, however, the seal rookeries of the Pry- 
biloff Islands in Bering Sea have been placed under such restrictions as to 
restrict the annual slaughter in proportion to the number of births. As an 
indication of the number of fur seals formerly existing in various parts of 
the world, I may say that in the year 1798 Captain Fanning, of the ship 
Betsy of New York, after obtaining a full cargo of skins frorn th§ island of 

?93 



294 " THE STORY OF THE SEAL. 

Musapura, on the Chilian coast, estimated the number of fur seals remaining 
on the island at from 500,000 to 700,000; and it appears that but little less 
than a million skins were subsequently taken from the same locality. Fur 
seals were still found on the Chilian coast in 181 5. From the Georgian 
Islands, at the extremity of South America, no less than 112,000 fur seals are 
reported to have been taken in the year 1800, of which 57,000 were obtained 
by one American vessel. About this date the discovery of fur seals in 
Australia was announced, and in 1804 a single ship obtained 74,000 skins. 
Large numbers were also taken about the same period on Prince Edward's 
Islands, lying a few hundred miles to the southeastwards of the Cape of 
Good Hope. Again, between the years 1820 and 1821, more than 300,000 
skins were taken from the South Shetland Islands alone, while it is estimated 
that at least 100,000 young seals were left to perish miserably, owing to the 
destruction of their mothers. In 18 14 and 181 5 the number of skins 
exported from Antipodes Island, off the coast of New South Wales, was 
upwards of 400,000, of which, it is said, no less than a fourth were spoilt 
owing to bad curing, and on arrival in Europe were sold as manure. As 
early, however, as the year 1830 the number of fur seals in the southern seas 
had been so greatly diminished that vessels generally made losing voyages; 
and at the present day such a voyage partakes largely of the nature of a 
lottery. The number of skins taken in the PrybilofT Islands is still large 
but it may be mentioned that at the present time the annual slaughter of 
fur seals throughout the world averages 185,000, while that of hair seals 
reaches the enormous number of 875,000. 

When seals are taken very young they can be made as tame as a cat 
or doo-, answering to their names and following their owners. Two little 
children once had a young seal brought to them from Alaska. It soon 
became very fond of them, living in the house, and eating from their 
hands. Visitors used to be much amused by its funny ways, and it was 
a curiosity for miles around. After a time the children were sent away to 
school, and their parents presented the seal to a neighboring zoological 
garden, where it was the delight of the keepers on account of its tameness. 
Three years after the children returned, and decided one day to go to see 
their old favorite, not imagining that it would remember them, but to their 
surprise it was so delighted to see them that it was almost ill from the 
excitement. It barked and whined like a dog, and when they left retired 
to a corner, where it pined and moped for days, refusing to touch its food, 
and not taking any notice of the keepers, with whom it was usually so 



THE STORY OF THE SEAL. 



295 



affectionate. The children soon after paid it a second visit, when it renewed 
its demonstrations, whining piteoiisly if they left it for a moment. When 
they heard how unhappy it had been they begged to have it back, and as 
the authorities were afraid it might pine to death if left there, they con- 
sented, and it returned to its old home, where it passed many happy years 
with its beloved master and mistress, who never parted with it again. 

The usual length of these animals is five or six feet. The head is large 




A GRAY SEALo 



and round, the neck small and short, and on each side of the mouth there are 
several strong bristles. From the shoulders the body tapers to the tail. The 
eyes are large, there are no external ears, and the tongue is cleft or forked at 
the end. 

The legs are very short, and the hinder ones are placed so far back as to 
be of but little use, except in swimming. The feet are all webbed. The tail 
is short. The animals -vary in color, their short, thick-set hair being some- 



296 THE STORY OF THE SEAL. 

times gray, sometimes brown or blackish, and sometimes even spotted with 
white or yellow. 

Seals delight in thunderstorms, and during these times they will sit on 
the rocks and contemplate with apparent pleasure and gratification the con- 
vulsion of the elements. 

The Icelanders entertain, respecting these animals, a strange supersti- 
tion. They believe them to resemble the human species more than any other 
creature, and that they are the offspring of Pharaoh and his host, who were 
converted into seals when they were overwhelmed in the Red Sea. 

One very curious result sometimes follows from the manner in which the 
seal shuffles along. If it is alarmed upon a stony or shingly beach, it at once 
makes for the sea as fast as possible, jerking itself along with its hind flip- 
pers, and so throwing up the stones behind it in showers. If a hunter is in 
the chase, he is, of course, struck by many of these stones, and with such 
force are they propelled that for years it was thought that the seal purposely 
resorted to this mode of defense, and actually took aim at its pursuer. I 
have discovered that the only object of the seal is to reach the sea as fast 
as possible, and that the stones it throws up are merely jerked up in the 
air by its hind feet, and are not in any way meant as weapons of defense. 

Near the city of San Francisco, and not far from a hotel on the shore, is ' 
a rock called Seal Rock, which is usually covered with seals, which sport 
there all day long, to the great amusement of the people, who watch them 
from the hotel piazza. They are not at all afraid, for no one is permitted to 
harm them. In warm sunny days they may be seen climbing up on to the 
rocks and sliding down again into the water, barking as if they enjoyed it. 
Some sleep in the sun, wake up and bark, slide down into the sea, and then 
crawl up again and bark, keeping it up all the day. Partly on account of 
the structure of the ear and partly because the seals pass sO' much of their 
time below the surface of the water, it has been supposed that the sense of 
hearing will be little needed by them, and that it is not at all acutCo 

Yet any one who has been accustomed to diving must have discovered 
that when the body is entirely submerged in the water, the auditory organs 
are very sensitive to sounds which are conveyed through the water, although 
not to those which are produced on land, and are only transmitted through 
the upper atmosphere. 

For example, although when a man is entirely submerged he is unable 
to hear the loudest shouts that can be raised by persons on shore, his ears 
are almost painfully sensitive to any sound that is produced in the water 



THE STORY OF THE SEAL. 



297 



and is transmitted through its mediumship. .A stone thrown into the water, 
or a blow struck upon its surface, is heard with perfect distinctness, while 
the measured strokes of the oars, and their peculiar grinding roll in the row- 
locks, become perceptible to the ears long before the sound is audible to 
those who are on land. 

When expeditions set out to capture sea-lions, the animals are driven a 
distance of from ten to twelve miles along the shore to the villages of the 
natives where they are to be killed; and from their slow rate of motion the 




THE CALIFORNIA SEA LION. 



journey is a long and protracted business, usually taking about five days. 
When once fairly started, and accustomed to the presence of man. the ani- 
mals are, however, readily controlled, and kept in the desired direction. At 
the end of a day's journey they are allowed to refresh themselves by plunging 
in the pools found in many parts of the route. When thoroughly tired out at 
the end of a day's march, the unfortunate animals stretch themselves at full 
length on the ground, with extended limbs. Even then, however, their rest 



298 THE STORY OF THE SEAL 

is not peaceful, for some restless one soon starts up and flounders over the 
others, as if seeking a better place. This disturbs the whole herd, which 
constantly keeps up a low moaning, apparently expressive of sore distress. 
By this time the sea-lions have become so accustomed to their captors that 
they will sooner fight than run from them; and they are too much deafened 
by their own noise to hear or fear any other sound. As they lie on the 
ground in a compact mass, one of the men takes an umbrella, and goes 
twenty to thirty yards to the rear of the herds, and approaching stealthily 
until he is quite near, suddenly expands the umbrella, and runs with it all 
along the edge of the herd; then, closing it, he retires to repeat the maneuvre. 
This has the effect of rousing the rear rank, which, thus suddenly alarmed, 
plunges forward and arouses those in front, which suddenly begin struggling 
and biting. The return of the man with the umbrella communicates another 
shock, and adds another wave to the sluggish mass. This is repeated at 
intervals of four or five minutes, till the successive shocks have aroused the 
whole herd, when, with much roaring and bellowing, the whole mass begins 
to move, gradually extending itself in a long irregular line in open order, 
each animal lumbering along as best it can. By shouting and waving flags 
at the rear, and on the flanks of the herd, they are kept moving until it is 
necessary to halt them again for rest. 

Finally, the herd reaches the village, when the sea-lions, being far too 
formidable animals to be despatched with clubs, are shot with rifles; the full- 
grown males being killed first, after which the fore-part of the herd is driven 
back upon and over the rear, when the slaughter is continued with lances. 
The description of this scene is, however, by no means pleasant reading, and 
may accordingly be passed over. 

In captivity these sea-lions display great afifection for one another; and 
when one of a pair dies the survivor not infrequently pines away and dies 
soon after. From observations made on captive specimens in Chicago, it 
appears that before the cub takes to the water the parent secretes a kind of 
oily fluid from her body, with which the hair of the cub becomes anointed, 
owing to both animals rolling on the same spot. 

A curious circumstance I discovered is that in the stomach of every sea- 
lion I have examined, with the single exception of a young animal, there 
existed a quantity of pebbles. The amount varied in individuals from a few 
to many. Some of these pebbles weighed as much as a half pound. 

A seal that was exhibited in London answered to the call of its keeper, 
and attended to whatever he was commanded to do, He wowld take food 



THE STORY OF THE SEAL. 



399 



from the man's hand, crawl out of the water, and when ordered would stretch 
himself out at full length on the ground. He would thrust out his neck and 
appear to kiss the keeper as often as the man pleased, and when he was 
directed would again return into the water. 

Some time ago a farmer of Aberdowr, a town on the banks of the Frith 
of Froth, Scotland, in going out among the rocks to catch lobsters and 
crabs, discovered a young seal about two and a half feet long, which he 
brought home. He offered it some pottage and milk, which the animal 
greedily devoured. It was fed in this manner for three days, when the man's 




hooker's sea lion. 



wife, considering it an intruder in her family, would not suffer it to be kept 
any longer. Taking some men of the town along with him for the purpose, 
her husband threw it into the sea, but notwithstanding all their endeavors 
it persisted in returning to them. It was agreed that the tallest of the men 
should walk into the water as far as he could, and, having thrown the animal 
in, that they should hide themselves behind a rock at some distance. This 
was accordingly done, but the animal returned from the water and soon 
discovered them in their hiding-place. The farmer again took it home, 



300 THE STORY OF THE SEAL. 

where he kept it for some time; but at length growing tired of it had it killed 
for the sake of its skin. 

The chief sealing districts, or, as they are called, "sealing-grounds," in 
the Arctic and North Atlantic oceans are West Greenland, the Newfound- 
land district, the Jan-Mayen seas, Nova Zembla and the Kara Sea, the White 
Sea, and the Caspian. The most important of these is the Jan-Mayen, 
where, as in all other districts except the Caspian, the Greenland seal is the 
kind mainly hunted. So incessant and unremitting has been seal-hunting in 
the icy Jan-Mayen seas that the numbers of these animals have been very 
sensibly diminished; and as far back as 187 1 attention was called to the neces- 
sity of some stringent regulations being applied to the sealing trade. This 
was followed in 1876 by an enactment on the part of the British Govern- 
ment establishing a close-time for seals, so far as their own subjects were 
concerned; and not long after similar action was taken by the other govern- 
ments interested. 

The chief sealing-trade in the North Pacific was the capture of the 
elephant-seals on the Californian coast — a trade which has of necessity come 
to an end by the extermination of the object of pursuit. In the more south- 
ern seas the trade was likewise confined to the capture of elephant-seals. 
From their great abundance and their large size, the pursuit of these animals 
was a paying occupation in the early years of this century. Now, however, 
as we have seen, these seals are exterminated from most of their former 
haunts, and only remain in any numbers on Kerguelen and Heard Islands, 
where they would also long since have disappeared had it not been for the 
inaccessible nature of the beaches they frequent. Consequently, the southern 
sealing-trade has now shrunk to almost nothing, although there is a prospect 
of it being revived in the neighborhood of the Antarctic pack-ice. 

Of the various methods of capturing seals in the northern seas notably 
the oldest is that of harpooning from canoes, or kayaks, as now practiced by 
the Esquimaux. The kayak, which is made of skins, although upwards of 
eighteen feet in length, is so light as to be easily carried in the hand. In 
"sealing" the victim is approached within some twenty-five feet, when the 
harpoon is hurled from a wooden "thrower." The harpoon, in addition to its 
line, is furnished with a bladder attached by another cord, which marks the 
course of the seal while below the water, and enables the hunter to follow its 
track and wound it with his lance time after time as it comes to the surface to 
breathe, until it is finally despatched. The lance is, thrown from the hand, 
and, after striking the seal, always detaches itself and floats on the surface. 



THE STORY OF THE SEAL. 



301 



A large number of seals are also captured in nets, this method being chiefly 
employed during the spring and autumn visits to the shore. Nets. appear to 
have been in use longest in the Gulf of Bothnia, the Capsian Sea, and Lake 
Baikal, where they are set either from the shore or beneath the ice. In the 
Gulf of Bothnia such nets are from sixty to ninety feet in length, and about 
six feet in depth. Two of them are generally set together in the neighbor- 
hood of rocks to which the seals resort, and are always placed to the leeward 
of the mainland or some headland. When they strike against the nets, the 
seals thrust their heads through some of the meshes, and by twisting them- 
selves about gradually become completely involved. In the Caspian Sea the 




LEOPARD SEAL. 



nets are usually hung from boats at a considerable distance from the shore. 
In Lake Baikal, on the other hand, the nets are let down through the breath- 
ing-holes of the seals in the ice, and the animals become entangled on rising. 
The seal-box used in parts of Scandinavia is a contrivance with a swing- 
ing plank, upon which, when the seal lands, it is precipitated headlong into a 
deep pit. Another Scandinavian plan is to surround a seal-rock with a line 
armed with a number of barbed hooks. These hooks allow the seals to land 



SOS THE STORY OF THE SEAL 

Avith impunity; but when a number of the animals are on the rock, and 
through a sudden fright rush headlong into the water, some of them are 
pretty sure to be caught. A third method employed in the same country is 
to fix a harpoon in a tube, with a spring-and-trigger arrangement, and to 
bury the whole contrivance in a hole bored in a seal-rock in such a manner 
that when a seal presses against the trigger the weapon will be discharged 
into its body. 

A large number of seals are also shot on the shore with rifles; and others 
fall to the harpoon of the Esquimaux, who either steals up to them while 
asleep, or awaits their rising at a breathing-hole. When a large number of 
seals can be surprised on shore at one of their favorite landing-places, club- 
bing is resorted to as the most effectual and speedy means of despatch; and 
it is said that sometimes as many as 15,000 have been killed in this manner 
in one night. 

The above methods apply only to sealing on or near the shore; but for 
the capture of seals on the ice-floes at long distances from land, vessels of 
some kind have to be specially equipped. In the Gulf of Bothnia these 
expeditions are or were carried out in open boats, each manned by eight 
sailors; but in the Newfoundland and Jan-May en seas steamers of consider- 
able size are now employed. When the seals are found on the ice, they are 
killed in the same way as on shore, that is, either by shooting, harpooning, 
or clubbing. 

The strange circumstance that young seals take to the water reluctantly, 
and have to be taught the art of swimming by their parents, would alone 
appear to be a suf^cient indication that seals originally descended from land 
animals. Among some species the young remain entirely on the land or ice 
for the first two or three weeks of their existence, or until they have shed 
their first coat of woolly hair. Numbers of seals are destroyed by the Polar 
bear, while others fall victims to the rapacious killer-whale. Others again 
are frequently destroyed by being jammed between ice-floes; and it is stated 
that thousands are sometimes killed by this means. The reduction in their 
numbers by all these causes is, however, trivial compared to those inflicted 
by man, who requires about a million and a half to supply his annual needs. 
So reckless, indeed, has been the destruction of seals, that some species are 
already well nigh exterminated, while others have been so reduced in num- 
bers as to render their pursuit no longer profitable. 




STORY OF THE SQUIRREL. 



People who are not intimately acquainted with the squirrel are apt to 
regard him as a timid little creature. He is one of the friskiest little animals 
in creation, but he is not timid by any means. Considering his size and 
means of defense he is one of the most courageous of wild creatures. 

One day with my dog and gun, I was awaiting the approach of a flock of 
wild fowl, but a little villain of a squirrel, on the bough of a tree close to me, 
seemed determined that I should not rest in quiet, for he sputtered and 
chattered with so much vehemence that he attracted the attention of my 
dog, whom I could scarcely control. The vagrant inattention of my dog 
was truly mortifying; he kept his eyes fixed upon the squirrel, now so noisy 
as to be quite intolerable. With my hand, I made a motion to threaten him, 
but the little beast actually set up his back, and defied- me, becoming even 
more passionate and noisy than' before, till all of a sudden, as if absolutely 
on purpose to alarm the game, he let himself drop down to the ground plump 
within a couple of yards of Rover's nose. This was too much for any four- 
footed animal to bear, so he gave a bounce and sprang at the impertinent 
squirrel, who, in one second, was safe out of his reach, cocking his tail, and 
showing his teeth on the identical bough where he had sat before. Away 
flew all the wild fowl, and my sport was completely marred. My gun went 

303 



304 THE STORY OF THE SQUIRREL. 

involuntarily to my shoulder to shoot the squirrel At the same moment 
I felt I was about to commit an act of sheer revenge, on a little courageous 
animal which deserved a better fate. As if aware of my hesitation, he nodded 
his head with rage, and stamped his fore paws on the tree; while in bis 
chirruping there was an intonation of sound, which seemed addressed to 
an enemy for whom he had an utter contempt. What business, I could 
fancy he said, had I there, trespassing on his domain, and frightening his 
wife and little family for whom he was ready to lay down his life? There he 
would sit in spite of me, — and make my ears ring with the sound of his 
war-whoop, till the spring of life should cease to bubble in his little heart. 

The red squirrel is the most common member of the family; next comes 
the gray squirrel, and this is followed by the fox-squirrel and the curious 
flying squirrel. This latter is becoming scarce in the sections east of the 
Mississippi, where it was formerly very numerous. The skin of the flying 
squirrel is so curiously formed that they can not only drop from a height 
without injury, but can even skim for long distances through the air, passing, 
for example, from one tree to another perhaps forty or fifty yards away. I 
have often watched the creatures in their native haunts. At times one 
would be seen darting from the topmost branches of a tall oak, and with 
wide extended membranes and outspread tail gliding diagonally through 
the air, till it reached the foot of a tree about fifty yards ofT, when at the 
moment we expected to see it strike the earth, it suddenly turned upwards 
and alighted on the body of the tree. It would then run to the top and 
once more precipitate itself from the upper branches and sail back again 
to the tree it had just left. Crowds of these little creatures joined in these 
sportive gambols; there could not have been less than two hundred. Scores 
of them would leave each tree at the same moment, seeming to have no 
other object in view than to indulge a playful propensity. 

In India there are several species much larger than those in this country 
and with a relative greater flight. These measure from 20 to 24 inches in 
length and extended their parachutes are often 18 inches across. These 
are capable of a sustained flight of one hundred yards in an almost if not 
quite horizontal manner. 

It is most interesting to find that the tail, which is of such use to the 
v.-ater-inhabiting animals as a rudder by which they can steer their course, 
is equally of service to the flying squirrel, serving not only to balance the 
body when the animal is running along the branches, but also to direct and 
alter the course of the flight. And thus the tail, you see, serves a double 




FLYING SQUIRRELS. 



305 



306 



TUE STORY OF THE SQUIRREL 



purpose, and is just as useful when its owner is in the air as it is when he is 
gamboling among the boughs of his leafy home. 

Like ordinary squirrels, these animals subsist mainly on nuts, seeds and 
buds, but the American species also eats beetles, and probably other insects, 
and may be taken in traps baited with meat. While in confinement it will 
but seldom refuse flesh. The American flying squirrels construct nests in 
the hollow trees they haunt, and in the cold winters of the Adirondack region 




THE SQUIRREL AND ITS HABITS. 



near New York they retire to these nests, and probably hibernate. The 
same habits will doubtless hold good for those inhabiting Kashmir and 
Afghanistan,, but those inhabiting India proper and the warm Malayan 
region remain active at all seasons. 

In the daytime these squirrels remain concealed in hollow trees, and only 
issue forth at sunset in quest of food. 




THE STORY OF THE OTTER, 



Were it not for the otter's desire to eat goose or duck three times a day 
his days on earth would be greatly prolonged, but the farmers and poultry 
growers have no patience with the rapacious animal and sooner or later he 
forfeits his life for the dainty morsel he is constantly seeking. He is so fas- 
tidious as to eat only the best parts of the fowl he has killed. 

When the otter cannot secure the food of his choice he will condescend to 
catch fish or eat the eggs of geese or ducks. 

It is extremely interesting to watch the actions of this almost amphibious 
creature. It slides noiselessly into the water, turns and twists about below 
the surface with the same or greater ease than a fish, then, with a graceful 
sweep of the body, it glides to the surface and ascends the bank with almost 
the same motion. While below the surface it bears a great resemblance to 
the seal, the method in which it disposes its hind feet greatly assisting the 
efifect. Its rapid and easy movements in the water are mostly performed by 
the assistance of its powerful tapering tail. 

The otter is easily tamed, and its predatory habits have been occasionally 
turned to account, as it is sometimes trained to catch fish and bring them to 

307 



SOg THE STORY OP THE OTTER. 

shore, precisely as the falcon is trained to catch terrestrial game. The Hin- 
doos have brought the art of otter training to great perfection, and keep their 
otters regularly tethered with ropes and straw collars on the banks of the river. 

I can bear testimony as to the long journeys undertaken by the otter 
from river to river across country; these journeys mostly taking place during 
the winter. On such occasions they go so fast that a man has great difficulty 
in overtaking them. On the ice they proceed by a series of what boys call 
"a run and a sHde," that is, they make several jumps and then slide ahead 
flat on their bellies, as far as their impetus and the smoothness of the ice permit, 
and then do the same thing over again, and so on. A curious habit of this 
otter is its propensity for sliding down smooth and steep banks, either of 
snow or of mud. Such gambols have been watched by me several times. It 
appears that in winter the animals select the highest ridge of snow, on to 
the top of which they scramble, whence they give themselves an impulse with 
their hind-legs, and swiftly glide head-foremost down the declivity, some- 
times for a distance of twenty yards. This sport they continue apparently 
with the greatest enjoyment until fatigue or hunger induces them to desist. 
A pair on a mud-bank made upwards of twenty-two slides before they were 
disturbed. 

The fur of the otter is more valuable than that of any other North Amer- 
can animal, and is in good condition from November till the spring, but is at 
its best period during the latter season. 

Otters are usually caught in steel traps, which are set beneath the water 
where one of the "slides" or tracks of the animals leads to the margin. Some- 
times the trap is, however, placed at the top of the slide and covered with 
snow. In neither case is any bait used; but in all methods the greatest care is 
necessary that no traces of the trapper's presence should remain, as the otter 
has very acute smell and sight, and is exceedingly wary and cunning. 

The otter is to be found in every part of the globe, and nearly every spe- 
cies can be tamed. It must be taken young, however, in which case it be- 
comes greatly attached to its master. It will follow him with the faithful- 
ness of a dog, but under no circumstances will it follow any other. 

In the Imperial Park, at Stuttgart, Germany, are many ponds in which 
there are a large number of water fowls. For six or seven weeks a tame otter 
from a neighboring pond came nightly to feast off the fowls. It carried on 
its robbery so boldly that guards were set to- watch for it. It destroyed all the 
duck eggs it could find on the islands and main land, and ate young ducks 
and geese, while old birds died daily from the wounds received from its bites. 



THE STORY OF THE OTTER. 



309 



It was only with great difficulty that this robber knight was surprised at his 
work and killed. 

The sea-otter is a large marine animal found in some parts of South 
America. It is also found along the Pacific coast, as far north as Alaska. 

The female sea-otter produces but a single young one at a birth, so that 
the increase af the species can be, at the best, but slow. The young may 
apparently be born at any season of the year, and do not attain maturity till 
four or five years old. The mother sleeps in the water on her back, with her 
young clasped between her fore-paws. The pup cannot live without its 




NORTH AMERICAN OTTERS. 



mother, though frequent attempts have been made by the natives to raise 
them, as they often capture them alive, but, like some other species of wild 
animals, it seems to be so deeply imbued with fear of man that it invariably 
dies from self-imposed starvation. 

The food of the sea-otters is almost entirely composed of clams, mussels, 
and sea-urchins, of which they are very fond, and which they break by 
striking the shells together, held in each fore-paw, sucking out the contents 
as they are fractured by these efforts; they also eat crabs, and the juicy, 



310 



THE STORY OF THE OTTER, 



tender fronds of kelp or sea-weed, and fish. They are not polygamous, and 
more than one individual is seldom seen at a time when out at sea. They 
are playful, it would seem, for I am assured by several old hunters that they 
have watched the sea-otter for half an hour as it lay upon its back in the 
water and tossed a piece of sea-weed up in the air from paw to paw, appar- 
ently taking great delight in catching it before it could fall into the water. 
It will also play with its young for hours. The quick hearing and acute smell 



||!|H|W'ill'||in!l'ili|''i||i''||iiilllfiiiiT''rTl'i'"l 'Ill"li'il'l!tjl!!!!!!!!lll!!!ll!!!l!l 




A SEA OTTER. 



possessed by the sea-otter are not equalled by any other creatures in the 
territory. They will take alarm and leave from the, efifects of a small fire 
four or five miles to the windward of them; and the footstep of man must 
be washed by many tides before its trace ceases to alarm the animal, and 
drive it from landing. 

The sea-otter is often captured by shooting it in the head with a rifle- 
bullet when the animal is sporting in the surf; the booming of the surf dead- 
ening- the report of the rifle. 




THE STORY OF THE CIVET. 



In parts of India, Africa and the Malay Peninsula I have oftentimes had 
my patience taxed by the conduct of my dogs in leaving the trail they were 
following to pursue the trail of a civet. The reason why a dog will follow 
the trail of a civet in preference to any other is that the civet has a scent 
gland and leaves a highly perfumed trail. In this respect it is like the fox — 
only more so. 

From this scent gland is extracted the perfume which bears the name of 
the animal, and which was more highly esteemed a hundred or more years 
ago than it is now. 

Civets have longer faces than domestic cats, and their bodies are also 
longer, but their legs shorter than in the members of that family. The tail 
is usually marked with six black rings, which are much wider than the inter- 
vening white ones; its tip being black. The Indian civet inhabits the eastern 
side of India, from Bengal to Sikhim, ascending in the last-named district to 
a considerable elevation in the Himalaya, and it is also found in Burma, in 
Siam. in Hainan, and in the south of China. This civet is generally a solitary 
animal, and it hides in woods, bushes, or thick grass during the day, wander- 
ing into open country and often coming about houses at night. Not infre- 
quently it is found in holes, but whether these are dug by it is doubtful, It 

31J 



313 



THE STORY OF THE CIVET. 



is very destructive, killing any birds or small animals it can capture, and 
often attacking fowls, ducks, etc., but also feeding on snakes, frogs, insects, 
eggs, and on fruits and some roots. Civets take readily to water. 

The palm-civets are only abroad at night and live almost entirely in trees. 
Their food is in part animal and part vegetable substances. 

Of the various families of true palm-civets, five are found in India and 
Burma. In eight of these the tail is considerably more than half the length 
of the head and body; and in seven of these it is uniformly-colored. The 
Celebes palm-civet, forming the eighth of this series, is, however, distin- 
guished by having its tail banded with indistinct rings of darker and lighter 
brown. The imperfectly-known woolly palm-civet of Thibet differs from 




AN AFRICAN AND AN INDIAN CIVET. 



all the rest in the woolly nature of its fur, and also by the length of the tail 
not exceeding that of the head and body. 

The best known of all is the Indian palm-civet, found throughout the 
greater part of India and Ceylon. The general color of the coarse and some- 
what ragged fur is a blackish or brownish-gray, without any stripes across 
the back in fully adult individuals. The length of the head and body of a 
male measured by me was twenty-two and one-half inches, and that of the 
tail nineteen and one-half inches; the corresponding dimensions of a female 
being in one instance twenty and seventeen and one-half inches, while in a 
second both were about eighteen inches. 

This species lives much on trees, especially on the cocoanut palms, and 



THE STORY OF THE CIVET. 



313 



is often found to have taken up its residence in the thick thatched roofs of 
native houses. I found a large colony of them established in the rafters of 
my own house at Calcutta. It is also occasionally found in dry drains, out- 
houses and other places of shelter. It issues forth at dark, living by prefer- 




AN AFRICAN CIVET. 



ence on animal food, rats, lizards, small birds, poultry, and eggs; but it also 
freely partakes of vegetable food, fruit, and insects. In confinement it will 
also eat plantains, boiled rice, bread-and-milk, etc. It is very fond of cock- 
roaches. Now and then it will commit depredations on some poultry-yard, 



314 THE STORY OF THE CIVET. 

and I have often known it taken in traps baited with a pigeon or a chicken. 
In the south of India it is very often tamed, and becomes quite domestic, and 
even affectionate in its manners. 

One I saw went about quite at large, and late every night used to work 
itself under the pillow of its owner, roll itself up into a ball, with its tail coiled 
round its body, and sleep till a late hour in the day. It hunted for rats, 
shrews, and lizards. Their activity in climbing is very great, and they used 
to ascend and descend my house at one of the corners in a most surprising 
manner. This palm-civet is common in Lower Bengal, and in the gardens of 
the suburban residences of Calcutta may occasionally be seen in the late after- 
noon or evening crawling among the leaves of a palm previous to starting on 
its nocturnal wanderings. That it will sometimes take up its quarters in the 
very heart of the town of Calcutta is proved by an incident which happened 
to the present writer when employed on the Geological Survey of India. At 
that time the ofifice of the survey was situated in a street leading down to the 
Hoogli River, in the old part of the city. On arriving at the office I found 
my papers on the writing-table marked every morning with the footprints of 
some mammal. I thereupon set a trap, which caught a large civet the follow- 
ing night. 




STORY OF THE CROCODILE. 



I shall treat of the crocodile and alligator in the same chapter, since the 
habits and general characteristics of one are in great measure similar to the 
ether-. During my various journeys it has been my unhappy lot to see eight 
human beings killed, besides a score mangled by these ferocious creatures. 
I would sooner attack a lion single-handed than be placed in proximity to 
one of these man-eating reptiles. The blood-curdling scenes which I have 
witnessed are still fresh in my memory, and I cannot shake off the feeling of 
horror they frequently bring to me. These creatures have rightfully been 
termed the lion and tiger of the reptile world. 

The crocodile is an inhabitant of the old world, the alligator of the new, 
and the two animals are best distinguished by the construction of the jaws. 
In the crocodiles the lower canine teeth fit into a notch in the edge of the 
upper jaw, and there is in consequence a contraction of the muzzle just 
behind the nostrils. The lower canine teeth of the alligators fit into a pit 
in the edge of the upper jaw, and in consequence no contraction is needed. 
At the back of the throat is a valve completely shutting out water, but leav- 
ing the passage to the nostrils free, so that the crocodile can keep his mouth 
open when beneath the surface, without swallowing the water, or can hold 
his prey to drown under the water, while he breathes at ease with his nostrils 
at the surface. There is no true tongue. 

The common crocodile inhabits many African rivers, and is, probably, 
the reptile infesting the Ganges. The Nile, however, is the b^st known 
haunt for this terrible creature. 



316 THE STORY OF THE CROCODILE. 

The crocodile feeds on fish, floating carrion, and dogs, or other animals, 
which it is enabled to surprise as they come to drink at the water's edge, 
but man frequently falls a victim to its voracity. In revenge for this treat- 
ment, all nations persecuted with this pest have devised various methods of 
killing it. The negroes of some parts of Africa are sufficiently bold and skillful 
to attack the crocodile in his own element. They fearlessly plunge into the 
water, and diving beneath the crocodile, plunge the dagger with which they 
are armed into the creature's belly, which is not protected by the coat of 
mail that guards the other parts of its body. The usual plan is to lie in 
wait near the spot where the crocodile is accustomed to repose. This is 
usually a sand-bank, and the hunter digs a hole in the sand, and, armed 
with a sharp harpoon, patiently awaits the coming of his expected prey. 
The crocodile comes to its accustomed spot, and is soon asleep, when it is 
suddenly roused by the harpoon, which penetrates completely through its 
scaly covering. The hunter immediately retreats to a canoe, and hauls at 
the line attached to the harpoon until he drags the crocodile to the surface, 
when he darts a second harpoon. The struggling animal is soon wearied 
out, dragged to shore, and dispatched by dividing the spinal cord. In order 
to prevent the infuriated reptile from biting the cord asunder, it is com- 
posed of about thirty small lines, not twisted, but only bound together at 
intervals of two feet. 

When on land it is not difficult to escape the crocodile, as certain pro- 
jections on the vertebrae of the neck prevent it from turning its head to 
any great extent. 

Human beings have a great dread of this terrible reptile. Many instances 
are known where men have been surprised near the water's edge, or cap- 
tured when they have fallen into the river. There is only one way of escape 
from the jaws of the crocodile, and that is to turn boldly upon the scaly foe, 
and press the thumbs into his eyes, so as to force him to relax his hold, or 
relinquisli the pursuit. 

The Shire River in Africa is very much infested with crocodiles, which at 
times become very ferocious in their attacks upon the unhappy natives who 
venture near the banks. This more particularly happens when there is a 
scarcity of fish in the river, which is the case at flood time, when the fish are 
driven from their usual haunts. Then it is not safe for any of the natives 
to show themselves, and to bathe is to court destruction. 

I once saw a complete mob of immense crocodiles after one man, who 
had ventured to bathe, and, of course, for the last time= The reptile which 



THE STORY OF THE CROCODILE. 



317 



had secured the unfortunate victim was in his turn attacked by hungry 
crocodiles, and a fierce fight resuUed. 

One native, who was smoking at the side of the river, was seized by the 
hand by a crocodile, and would have been dragged in and devoured had he 
not very quickly caught hold of a tree which grew upon the bank, and clung 
with such tenacity that the reptile had to abandon his captive, leaving the 
deep dent of his jaws on his arm. 

In the Upper Nile the favorite haunts of the crocodiles are sandbanks, 
situated in parts of the river where the current is not too strong. There 
thc}^ may be seen at all hours of the day sleeping with widely opened mouths, 
in and out of which the black-backed plover walks with the utmost uncon- 




GANGES CROCODILE DEVOURING A CHILD. 



cern. According to x\rab accounts, one and the same crocodile has been 
known to haunt a single sandbank throughout the term of a man's life; 
thus leading to the conclusion that these creatures must enjoy a long term 
of existence, during the whole of which they continue, like other reptiles, 
to increase in size. In common with this feature of uninterrupted growth, 
all crocodiles are also distinguished by their remarkable tenacity of life; the 
shots that prove instantaneously fatal being those that take effect either in 
the brain itself or in the spinal cord of the neck. It is true, indeed, that a shot 
through the shoulder will ultimately cause death; but it allows time for 
the animal to escape into the water, where its body immediately sinks. To 



318 THE STORY OP THE CROCODILE. 

reach the brain, the crocodile should be struck immediately behind the aper- 
ture of the ear. Although it is commonly supposed that the bony armor 
of these reptiles is bullet-proof, this is quite erroneous; if the plates are 
struck obliquely, the bullet will, however, frequently ricochet. 

A remarkable instance of boldness and ferocity displayed by a crocodile 
of this species was witnessed by me during a journey to Mashonaland. On 
arriving one evening at the banks of the narrow but rocky Tokwi River, a 
man named Williams rode in with the intention of crossing. During the 
passage his horse was carried by the stream a few yards below the landing- 
place, and just as he reached the opposite bank he was seized by the leg by 
a crocodile, which dragged him from his horse into the stream. There the 
reptile let go its hold, upon which the man managed to crawl on to a small 
island. Immediately his companion rode in to his assistance, upon which 
another very large crocodile mounted up between him and his horse's neck, 
and then shpped back, making a dreadful wound on his side and in the 
horse's neck with its claws as it did so. The river seemed, indeed, to be 
absolutely swarming with crocodiles; and it was with the greatest difficulty 
that the unfortunate man, Williams, who ultimately died of his wounds, was 
brought to bank. 

The Ganges crocodile is one of the largest, if not the very largest, of 
its order, sometimes reaching a length of 35 feet. As its popular name 
imports, it is a native of India, and swarms in many of the Indian rivers, the 
Ganges being greatly infested with its presence. It is a striking animal, the 
extraordinary length of its muzzle giving it a most singular and rather gro- 
tesque aspect. 

This prolongation of the head varies considerably according to the age 
and sex of the individual. In the young, just hatched from the egg, the 
head is short and blunt, and only attains its full development when the 
creature has reached adult age. The males can be distinguished from the 
other sex by the shape of the muzzle, which is much smaller at the extremity. 
There are many teeth, the full complement being about one hundred and 
twenty. They are similar in appearance, and about equal in length. 

The following account of the pursuit of one of these monsters which had 
recently carried off a boy is abridged from a native newspaper. The hunter, 
having been summoned, moored his canoe hard by the place where the 
tragedy had taken place, it being well known that a crocodile which has 
been successful in securing a victim will generally remain for some days about 
the spot. Soon the crocodile was descried floating on the water, whereupon 



THn STORY OF THE CROCODILE. 



319 



the hunter and assistant hid themselves in the canoe, while the son of the 
former entered the water, which he commenced to beat with his hands. 
Catching sight of the bo}', the crocodile prepared to dive towards him, upon 
which the boy took refuge in the canoe. In a moment or so the reptile rose 
to the surface at the expected spot, where he was saluted with a couple of 
harpoons, one of which secured a firm hold. After a long chase, in which a 
number of the inhabitants of the village took part in boats, a second harpoon 
was safely planted in the head of the monster, who was finally dragged to 
shore. When opened several gold and silver ornaments — the relics of earlier 
victims — were found in his stomach. 




ALLIGATOR WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO TURN UP. 



On the Amazon and Orinoco, as well as other South American rivers, 
alligators are to be met with in myriads, and appear to be very similar in 
their habits to the crocodiles of the old world. They grow to a length of 
eighteen or twenty feet, and attain an enormous bulk. Like the turtles, the 
alligator has its annual migrations, for it retreats to the interior pools and 
flooded forests in the dry season. During the months of high water, there- 
fore, scarcely a single individual is to be seen in the main river. In the mid- 
dle part of the Lower Amazon, where many of the lakes with their channels 



Sl^O T^n STORY OF THB CROCODILE. 

of communication with the trunk stream dry up in the fine months, the 
alligator buries itself in the mud and becomes dormant, sleeping till the rainy 
season returns. On the Upper Amazon, where the dry season is never 
excessive, it has not this habit. It is scarcely exaggerating to say that the 
waters of the SoHmoens are as well stocked with large alligators as a ditch in 
Indiana is in summer with tadpoles. By the natives of these regions the alli- 
gator is at once despised and feared. On one occasion I saw a party boldly 
enter the water and pull to shore one of these large reptiles by its tail; while 
at another time two medium-sized specimens that had been captured in a 
net were coolly returned to the water hard by where a couple of children 
were playing. Sometimes, however, they have to pay dearly for such temer- 
ity. The Indians of Guiana capture the alligator by means of a baited hook 
and line, the former being composed of several pieces of wood, which become 
fixed in the creature's jaws. 

One of the most remarkable things on the Magdalena River is the num- 
ber of alligators. Their skins, teeth, and bodies even, might, it would seem, 
be made a source of profit. When the sun is at the zenith, and the denizens 
of the forest in silence seek the deepest shade — when no song, no noise is 
heard — the alligator stretches its monstrous length on the sands, and amuses 
itself by swallowing the swarms of flies. Then a negro, with his lounging 
gait, will seek the water to bathe. The alligator marks him. Slowly, clum- 
sily, he moves his uncouth form, and, plowing through the sand, seeks his 
favorite element to secure his prey. If the negro is unarmed, he eludes pur- 
suit; but if he has kept his keen knife, he awaits his foe. The alligator makes 
a dash at him. The negro dives, turns and comes up where the alligator 
started. This maneuver repeated over and over wearies the monster; and 
the negro prepares for the attack. But where strike this creature, whose 
scales return a rifle-ball? After a series of movements to disconcert the alli- 
gator, he remains quiet. Again the alligator rushes at him. The negro dives 
so as to let the creature pass over his head, and rising, drives his knife under 
the shoulder, straight to the heart. But he fights on, and, though the water 
is reddened with blood, he beats savagely till repeated blows complete the 
work, and the negro swims ashore, leaving the tide to bear away his trophy. 

When the alligator is cebado — that is, in the habit of lurking around a 
hut, the negro resorts to a novel plan. It requires cool energy. He takes 
a piece of hard wood, about eighteen inches long, and three or four inches 
thick, well sharpened, with a sort of shoulder where it begins to taper. 
When he sees the animal at its post, he crawls slowly up to him, and, resting 



THE STORY OF THE CROCODILE. 



321 



on his knee and left hand, holds out as a bait his right hand, which grasps 
the double-pointed stick. The alligator opens its jaws and shuts them vio- 
lently on the hand; but finding itself caught, makes in all haste for the river. 
The negro holds on till the alligator, unable to close its mouth, drowns. 

On our voyage up the x\mazon we halted, from time to time, when we 
came in sight of a good place for fishing. It was generally the mouth of 
some branch, or one of the numerous shallows. We had no difficulty in 
finding the spot, no need even to ask a native. The flocks of snowy herons, 
ranged like sentries, or the abundance of long alligators about the spot, 
announced not only this fact, but the intention of their presence there. 




CROCODILE ATTACKING A MOUNTED HUNTER. 



Although Indian women are sometimes snapped up by these uncouth 
mcnsters, the Indian men scarcely heed them, entering the water to fish and 
l»athe, as though there was not the least danger, and as though there w^ere 
no such thing in the world as the tail or tooth of a jacare. 

In fact the danger was on their side. Our stock of alligator meat was 
just out, and one of the Canichanas asked leave to have some sport and 
lay in a stock. Of course we always gave permission, as it kept up their 
spirits, and saved us from a drain on our stock of provisions. 



322 THk STOkY OP THE CROCODILE. 

It was curious to watch their proceedings. An Indian, stripping off his 
bark shirt, creeps slowly through the shallow water toward an alligator with 
a sling in his left hand and in his right a pole, with a slip-noose at the end 
of a stout rawhide. Though the alligator sees him coming, it will not 
attempt either to attack or fly; it lies lazily there, looking steadily with its 
protruding eyes at the bold hunter, occasionally giving a lazy movement 
with its powerful tail. It does not seem to notice the noose when actually 
before its eyes. 

The hunter suddenly throws it over the monster's head, and draws it 
taut with a steady jerk. Then the other Indians, who have been watching, 
rush on, and with a long, strong pull they all land the creature, struggling 
to get back, and lashing sand and water with its powerful tail. A few vigor- 
ous blows of an ax on the head and tail soon disable it. 

It is rather curious that the alligator never seems to rush on its antago- 
nists. A single movement in that direction would scatter them all in a 
moment. They would drop pole and loop and ax, and run for dear life. The 
Indians are so expert that accidents from the tail are rare. 

They like the flesh, but they begin by cutting out from under the jaws 
and belly, near the tail, four musk-glands, in pairs, which if left, diffuse their 
flavor through the whole body. These glands are a valuable article of com- 
merce; and the Indians tie them up carefully and dry them in the sun. 
Mixed with a little rose-water, the contents of these glands perfume the raven 
locks of elegant Bolivian ladies at Santa Cruz de la Sierra and Cochabamba, 
whose nose can stand and enjoy its powerful odor as they do a bull-fight, 
but who, gracefully as they roll cigaritos and dance their favorite dances, 
often cannot write their names. 




THE STORY OF THE SLOTH. 



One of the most singular animals is the South American sloth, a creature 
which a short time ago was thought to lead a most miserable life, owing to 
its avv'kw^ard and painful movements when placed upon the ground. Nature 
never intended the sloth to live upon the ground at all, but designed it for 
a life in the trees, for which it is fitted in a very remarkable manner. 

The sloth, instead of climbing after the manner of the squirrel or the 
monkey, passes almost its whole existence beneath the boughs, to which 
it clings with its long and strongly-curved claws, its back being thus toward 
the ground. In this singular position the sloth eats, drinks, and sleeps, 
traveling slowly from tree to tree every now and then, and seeming seldom 
or never to descend to the ground. 

The sloth is gifted with great strength, and its muscles, moreover, 
possess most wonderful power of endurance, so that although the entire 
weight of the body is constantly supported by the limbs, they never give 
way to fatigue. 

323 



324 THE STORY OF THE SLOTH. 

The life of the sloth is a very uneventful one, for, as it feeds upon the 
leaves of trees, an abundant supply of food is always within its reach, and 
it is not, therefore, obliged to search for provisions like most other animals. 
Then, again, its curious habits place it out of the reach of beasts of prey, 
and, indeed, almost the only foes which the animal has to fear is the serpents, 
which, of course, can follow it into its leafy retreat and overcome it with- 
out difhculty. 

The sense of hearing m these animals seems but imperfectly developed; 
and their small, dull and reddish eyes do not appear capable of very acute 
vision. Indeed, on first observing a sloth its eyes look so devoid of bright- 
ness as to give the impression that the creature must be blind. 

But a single young is produced at a birth. When it first comes into the 
world the young sloth is fully developed, having the body thickly clothed 
with hair, and the claws on the toes of the same proportionate length as in 
the adult. With these claws it clings fast to the long hair of its mother, 
clasping its arms around her neck. 

It is gifted with great tenacity of life, surviving under injuries w^hich 
wourld have proved instantly mortal to any other animal. It even surpasses 
the opossum in endurance. 

A friend of mine had a sloth which he kept in his house for some time. 
The animal usually lived on the back of a chair to which it slung itself by its 
curved claws. After keeping it for some time, he was desirous of killing 
it, as its skin was required for the purpose of stuffing, and the death warrant 
was issued against the sloth. But how to kill it was the dif^culty; and its 
owner, being a naturalist, and, therefore, a merciful man, in spite of popular 
prejudices on the subject, was much perplexed in his mind. At last he 
determined on trying the effect of the wourali poison, used by the Indians 
to give their weapons of war and the chase a more deadly effect. Even a 
sloth could not resist the wourali. A very small wound was made through 
the animal's skin, and inoculated with the poison. Soon the sloth began 
to droop, its head sunk upon one side, and, after a few minutes, one of its 
feet lost its hold of the chair on which it was hanging. The other foot 
soon gave way under the influence of the poison, and the dying animal fell 
to the ground. It lay there perfectly quiet, and, after a few minutes had 
elapsed, gently closed its eyes, and was dead. Its whole demeanor was that 
of an animal overcome with sleep, and it never appeared to suffer the 
slightest pain. 

Such, indeed, seems to be the effect of this singular composition upon 




SWTH AMgRiCAM stOTH§. 



3^3 



326 THE STORY OF THE SLOTH. 

any living creature. If an animal is wounded, although slightly, by a 
weapon charged with this poison, it runs a few paces, staggers, and lies 
down as if to sleep, and in a few minutes is dead._ Tlie effect is the same 
upon man. Two Indians were hunting after birds, and one of them had just 
launched a poisoned arrow at a bird nearly above him. The arrow missed 
its mark, glanced against a bough, and in its fall struck into the arm of the 
man who had thrown it. He looked at his arm, took oft' his quiver of 
arrows, remarked that he should never use them again, laid himself down, 
and was dead almost immediately. 

No account of the sloth would be complete without some reference to 
the gigantic ground-sloths which were formerly so abundant in South 
America, as it is by their aid alone that we are able to comprehend the rela- 
tionship of the true sloths to the ant-eaters. The best known of these crea- 
tures is the megatherium, which rivalled the elephant in bulk. They may 
be described as possessing the skulls and teeth of sloths, and the backbones, 
limbs, and tails of ant-eaters. They agreed with the sloths in having large 
and complete collarbones; but, as I infer from the conformation of the lower 
jaw, they approximated to the ant-eaters in the elongation of their tongues. 
The majority of the ground-sloths were South American; but one species 
of mes'atherium rans^ed into North America. 




STORY OF THE TORTOISE. 



The turtle which inhabits the streams in almost every part of the United 
States has a counterpart in the tortoise, a creature of such dimensions as to 
seem almost incredible. I have aided in catching- these sea-monsters, some 
over seven feet long and weighing from 800 to 900 pounds. These speci- 
mens were probably over 100 years old, for the tortoise does not attain its 
full growth until near the end of its natural life. Information which I believe 
authentic leads me to estimate the possible age to which the tortoise attains 
as not less than 200 years. 

At the fore and hinder extremities of the shell of all tortoises are left 
large apertures, through which are protruded the head and neck, the fore 
and hind-Hmbs, and the tail. A large number of tortoises are able to retract 
both the head, limbs, and tail within the margins of the shell, the apertures 
of which are then filled up; such portions of the head and limbs as are 
exposed being protected by horny shields. 

With the exception of the marine leathery turtles and the fresh-water 
soft-tortoises, in which it is invested merely with a continuous leathery skin, 
the shell of the various spaces is covered with a number of horny plates, 
which, in the adult state at least, are in contact with one another by their 
edges. 

The species that generally forms the c?Iebr^te4 N^w York (Jishe§ k 



328 THE STORY OF THE TORTOISE. 

known as terrapin, but other species are also used. The best terrapins go by 
the name of "diamond-backs," and do not generally exceed some seven inches 
in length, although they may rarely measure as much as ten inches, but all 
terrapin of larger dimensions belong to the inferior kinds, ordinarily desig- 
nated "sliders.'' Terrapin are caught all the way from Savannah and 
Charleston to the Patapsco River at Baltimore, but the genuine diamond- 
back belongs only to the Upper Chesapeake and its tributaries. The 
majority of the sliders are brought to Baltimore from the James River. The 
terrapin-catchers make from five to twenty dollars per week, and they find 
the reptile, or "bird." as the bon vivant calls it, by probing the mud in the 
shallows with sticks. The terrapin is dormant, and when found is easily 
secured. A four-pound terrapin taken about September 15th will exist 
prosperously in a dark, cool place, wdthout food or drink, until April 15th, 
and (the dealers say) will gain two ounces in weight. After that time it gets 
lively and active, and will take hold of a finger with great effusion and 
effectiveness. The male terrapin is known as a "bull," and the female as 
a "cow." The latter is much more highly prized, and generally contains 
about thirty eggs. No dish of terrapin is thought complete without being 
garnished with these. 

There is a tortoise found in the desert wastes of California and Arizona 
which has the same powder to carry a supply of water as the camel; for, if one 
of these animals is killed, it is generally found to have quite a store of water 
in a bag of membrane which is fastened to the inner side of the shell, and 
which evidently answers exactly the same purpose as the water-cells of the 
camel's stomach. So large is this supply, that, if a man were dying of thirst 
in the desert, and could kill one of these tortoises, he would obtain quite 
enough water to last him for a couple of days at least, and so would save 
his own life by killing the tortoise, just as many lives have been saved by 
the death of a camel. If it were not for these cisterns, so to speak, wdiich 
the tortoise carries in its body, it could never live in the districts in which it 
is found, for the streams and pools are so far from one another that the slow- 
moving animal might travel for months, and yet never find a chance of 
drinking. It is thought that its water-supply is procured from a kind of 
plant which growls in the desert, and which, when open, is found to have 
some little quantity of water inside it. 

These tortoises are much esteemed as food; and In order to see whether 
they are sufficiently fat to be killed, the inhabitants are accustomed to make 
a slit beneath the tail, through w'hich the interior of the body could be seen. 



THE STORY OF THE TORTOISE. 



329 



With the usual hardihood of reptiles, the rejected individuals appear to 
recover completely from this severe operation. 

The Matamata is certainly the most remarkable of aspect among- all the 
tortoises, and perhaps may 'lay claim to be considered one of the oddest- 




SOFT SHELL RIVER TORTOISE. 



looking animals in the v^/orld. far exceeding in its grotesque ungainliness 
even the wild and weird creations of the Middle Age painters. 

This tortoise inhabits South America, and is most plentiful in Cayenne. 
Formerly jt wag very common, but on account of the excellence of its flesh, 



330 THE STORY OF THE TORTOISE. 

it has been subjected to such persecution, that its numbers have been con- 
siderably diminished. It haunts the lakes and rivers, where it swims well 
and with some speed. As is the case with most aquatic tortoises, it is car- 
nivorous, and feeds on fish, reptiles, and other creatures, which it captures 
by a sudden snap of its sharp beak. In general, it appears not to care for 
chasing its intended prey, but conceals itself among the reeds and herbage 
of the river-side, and from its hiding-place thrusts out its neck suddenly upon 
its victims as they pass unsuspectingly within reach of their destroyer. On 
occasion, however, it will issue from its concealment, dart rapidly through 
the water and seize a fish, reptile, or even a water-fowl, and then retire with 
its prey to its former hiding-place. 

It is a large and formidable creature, attaining, when adult, to a length 
of three feet. 

The manner in which the marine tortoises are caught on the coast of 
Cuba, and at places on the South American continent is of peculiar interest. 
It is the custom of the sailors in search of the turtle to watch for the female 
as she goes on shore to deposit her eggs, and in spite of the night and her 
efforts at concealment, she very seldom escapes. The fishers are particu- 
larly successful on moonlight nig^hts, and when the poor creatures are come 
up with, they are either dispatched with a club or turned quickly on their 
backs before they have time to defend themselves, or blind their antagonists 
by throwing: sand in their eyes. When very large it requires several men 
and the use 0( hand-spikes and levers to turn a turtle over. The marine 
turtle is so fat and its buckler so flat, that once on its back it cannot recover 
the use of its feet and escape. 

The great Indian tortoise or elephant tortoise inhabits the islands in 
Mozambique Channel, and is frequently brought to Mauritius. Its entire 
length is about four feet; the shell, which measures three, is composed of 
twenty-four scales. This tortoise is very fond of water, drinking large quan- 
tities and wallowing in the mud. The larger islands alone produce springs, 
and these are always situated towards the central parts, and at a considerable 
elevation. Hence broad and well-beaten paths radiate in every direction 
from the wells, even down to the seacoast; and the Spaniards, by following 
these up, first discovered the watering places. 

When I landed at Chatham Island, I could not imagine what animal 
traveled so methodically along the well-beaten tracks. Near the springs 
it wavS a curious spectacle to behold many of these great monsters, one set 



THE STORY OF THE TORTOISE. 



331 



eagerly traveling onward with outstretched necks, and another set return- 



ing, after having drunk their fill. 



When the tortoise arrives at the spring, quite regardless of any spectator, 
he buries his head in the water above his eyes, and greedily swallows great 
moiithfuls, at the rate of about ten in a minute. The inhabitants say that 
each animal stays three or four days in the neighborhood of the water, and 
then returns to the lower country ; but they differed respecting the frequency 
of these visits. Some tortoises live on islands where the only water they 
obtain is that which falls as rain, and the inhabitants of the Galapagos Islands, 
when overcome with thirst, are in the habit of killing a tortoise and drinking 
the water contained in its interior. 




ELEPHANT TORTOISE. 
CAROLINA BOX TORTOISE. 



BRAZILIAN TORTOISE. 
ELEGANT TORTOISE. 



The tortoises, when purposely moving towards any point, travel by night 
and day, and arrive at their journey's end much sooner than would be expected. 
The inhabitants, from observing marked individuals, consider that they travel 
a distance of about eight miles in two or three days. One large tortoise 
walked at the rate of sixty yards in ten minutes, that is three hundred and 
sixty yards in the hour, or four miles a day, — allowing a little time for it to 
eat on the road. During the breeding-seasou, when the male and female are 
together, the male utters a hoarse roar or bellowing, which, it is said, can 
be beard at a distance Qi more than a hundred yards, The female never yges 



332 THE STORY OF THE TORTOISE, 

her voice, and the male only at these times ; so that when the people hear this 
noise, they know that the twO' are together. The female, where the soil is 
sandy, deposits her eggs together, and covers them up with sand ; but where 
the ground is rocky, she drops them indiscriminately in any hole. The egg 
is white and spherical ; one which I measured was seven and three-eighths 
inches in circumference, and therefore larger than a hen's egg. The young 
tortoises, as soon as they are hatched, fall a prey in great numbers to the 
carrion-feeding buzzard. The old ones seem generally to die from accidents, 
as from falling down precipices; at least, several of the inhabitants told me 
that they never found one dead without some evident cause. 

The inhabitants believe that these animals are absolutely deaf; certainly 
they do not hear a person walking close behind them. I was always amused 
when overtaking one of these great monsters, as it was quietly pacing along, 
to see how suddenly, the instant I passed, it would draw in its head and legs, 
and uttering a deep hiss fall tO' the ground with a heavy sound, as if struck 
dead. I frequently got on their backs, and then giving a few raps on the 
hinder part of their shells, they would rise and walk away; — but I found it 
difficult to keep my balance. 

The handsome Brazilian tortoise, which attains a length of nearly twenty- 
two inches, is an inhabitant O'f tropical South America, toi the east of the 
Andes, and also' of the Windward Islands, ascending tO' an elevation oi about 
two thousand feet. In many wooded districts it appears to be very abundant, 
feeding not only on leaves and grasses, but likewise on the fallen fruit which 
is to be met with in great quantities. In the hot season it constructs a nest 
of dry leaves, wherein are deposited its eggs, which may be a dozen or twO' in 
number. When first hatched, the young are of a uniform yellowish brown 
coloT, with their shells still soft. The young, and tO' a less degree the adults, 
have numerous enemies, but the greatest are the puma and jaguar. Against 
the sharp teeth and stout claws of these voracious animals, not even the strong 
hard shell oi the tortoise is a sufficient defense. 




THE STORY OF THE OCELOT. 



I once spent a very interesting quarter of an hour in South America 
watching an ocelot catch a monkey. The beautiful cat had taken a position 
in a large tree much frequented by monkeys. It stretched out at full length 
upon a big limb and remained perfectly motionless. To all appearances it 
was dead. Pretty soon the monkeys saw it and immediately began to chat- 
ter in a high state of excitement. They seemed undecided whether to run 
away or to make some sort of an attack upon the apparently lifeless object 
stretched upon the limb. It was not long, however, before their natural 
curiosity overcame their fears. They drew nearer, occasionally chattering 
loudly and then remaining silent for a few moments while they watched the 
ocelot intently. 

The cunning little animal gave no sign of life. The monkeys came still 
nearer, their curiosity increasing with every step. They were now within a 
couple of feet of the ocelot, but that animal, with a splendid command of its 
nerves, never moved a muscle. The monkeys shouted and scolded, but their 
cries failed to arouse the shamming ocelot. Finally one monkey, more ven- 
turesome than its fellows, cautiously stretched out a paw and touched the 
ocelot on its long tail. Not a movement, not a sound. Assuredly this 
creature was dead. Again and again the monkey repeated the performance 
without awakening any sign of life in the ocelot. 

Then, as if having satisfied itself that the animal was really dead, the 

333 



334 



THE STORY OF THE OCELOT. 



monkey ran along the limb and squatted close by the ocelot's head. 
"Squeak!" 

It was the death yell of the curious monkey. As if it were made of 
springs, the ocelot leaped to its feet, and with the movement seized the 
monkey with its teeth and claws. 

The other monkeys ran chattering and screaniing through the forest, 
while the ocelot proceeded leisurely to make its supper of the monkey. Like 




^j^/wi^ 



OCELOT CATCHING A MONKEY 



the jaguar, it first sucks the blood of the animal it kills, and if this does not 
satisfy its hunger, it feasts rather slowly and daintily on the carcass. 

The ocelot devours small quadrupeds of all kinds as well as eggs. 

It runs like the fox and wildcat when pursued by hunters and hounds, 
and often resorts to the fox-like trick of doubling on its track in order to 
baffle its pursuers. 

In South America I saw many of these beautifully-marked animals. Its 



THE STORY OF THE OCELOT. 



335 



range is the same as the jaguar's, and it partakes of the habits of that animal, 
although the ocelot is a much smaller member of the cat family. 

It is a very voracious animal, but at the same time timid. It rarely attacks 
men. It is afraid of dogs, and when pursued it makes off to the woods and 
climbs a tree. There it remains, and even takes up its abode to sleep and 
look out for game and cattle, upon which it darts as soon as they are within 
range. It prefers the blood to the flesh, and, in consequence, destroys a vast 
number of animals, for instead of devouring them, it only quenches its thirst 
by sucking their blood. 




THE 'OCELOT. 



Notwithstanding its cowardice, the ocelot is a very savage animal. A 
pair of young ones in captivity at the age of three months were sufficiently 
strong and cruel to kill and devour a dog who had been given them as a 
nurse. The male always keeps the female in wonderful subjection, so much 
so, that she is afraid even to attempt to eat until he is completely satisfied. 

In the matter of markings, the ocelot is admitted to be the most beautiful 
member of the cat family. The ground-color of the ocelot may be tawny- 



336 THE STORY OF THE OCELOT. 

yellow or reddisli-gray. It is always marked with black spots, which are in 
chain-like streaks and blotches. The head and limbs bear small spots, and 
there are two black stripes over each cheek, and one or two black bands 
around each fore-leg. The tail is ringed, and parts of the trunk and limbs are 
whitish. 

There is, how-ever, a well-marked variety of a gray color, in which the 
flanks may be whitish; while there is a second form characterized by its less 
brilhant color. Still more strikingly different is the third form, characterized 
by its brilliant coloration. The pupil of the eye, when contracted, forms an 
exceedingly narrow vertical slit. Not only does the ocelot vary in colora- 
tion, but it also displays considerable difference in point of size. Thus the 
total length of the animal may vary from four feet to three feet one inch, and 
that of the tail from fifteen to eleven inches. 

The ocelot is an exclusively forest animal, and is an expert climber, 
capturing most of its prey, which consists of small animals and birds, in the 
trees. In disposition it is fierce and savage in the wild state. 




THE STORY OF THE WOLF. 



On numerous occasions I have matched my wits against the cunning of 
a wolf, and have been defeated oftener than I have been successful. I spent 
more than a month trying to trap an old gray prairie wolf, the leader of a 
band that was killing the cattle of a ranchman friend. I used the most 
modern steel wolf-traps and every dainty bait known tO' hunters and trapi- 
pers, but all without success. Night after night he uncovered and expO'sed 
my traps and continued tO' slaughter the finest young animals in my friend's 
herd. 

It was not until we had caught his mate in a trap that we were able to 
catch him off guard. We left the female in the trap by which she had been 
caught and then planted other traps all around her. The next night the 
big gray wolf while trying to rescue his mate was caught. 

If we exclude some of the breeds of domestic dogs, the wolf is the largest 
living member of the family; and its reputation for fierceness is well known. 
It belongs tO' a group which includes the jackals and the domestic dogs; 
all the wild species of which are characterized by their powerful teeth and 
the moderate brush formed by the tail (in which the hair is longer than 
that of the body). It is found in Europe, Asia and many parts of North 
America. 

Ferocity, craft and cowardice are the well-known traits of the wolf. 
Although one of the dog tribe, it is held in utter abhorrence by the domes- 

237 



np, 



TMR ^TORV OP WE WO LP. 



ticated dogs. The stronger pursue and destroy it, the weaker fly from it 
in terror. In the earHer part of EngHsh history it is frequently mentioned 
as a common and dreaded pest. It was finally extirpated in England about 
1350, in Scotland about 1600, and was not entirely destroyed in Ireland until 
the beginning of 1700. It is still found in parts of France. Russia, and the 
whole of Western Asia. 

Wolves inhabit both open country and forests; and although generally 







SCENES IN WOLF LIFE. 



found in pairs, or solitary, they at times, and more especially in winter, asso- 
ciate in large numbers. They wander abroad both in the daytime and at 
night. Although usually cowardly, the wolf becomes bolder and more daring, 
stealing its prey by night, when driven by hunger, or wdien hunting together. 
Stories of the attacks of wolves, when in packs, upon travelers in Russia 
are numerous. In the year 1895 no- less than 161 persons fell victims to 



THE STORY OF THE WO LP. 



339 



these animals in Russia. A pack of these animals, when hungry, will follow 
mounted travelers or those in sleighs and will hoklly attack them even in the 
face of firearms. When one of the pack is killed or wounded by a shot, the 
others stop only long enough to devour his body, and then renew the attack. 
In the earlier days of American farming, a couple of these marauders 
have been known to kill fifteen or sixteen sheep in a single night, simply 




GRAY WOLF OF WESTERN AMERICA. 



tearing open their throats without otherwise damaging the carcasses. When 
the bison existed in countless thousands on the prairies of North America, 
wolves were in the habit of prowling around the herds for the purpose of 
preying on sick or w^ounded individuals and such calves as strayed from the 
protection of their elders. Frequently wolves might be seen wandering in 



340 THE STORY OF THE WOLF. 

the midst of a herd of bull bison without attracting the least attention. In 
general almost any kind of prey is acceptable to the wolf, which does not 
by any means disdain a meal of carrion. The larger mammals, such as cattle, 
horses, and the bigger kinds of deer, are generally only attacked when several 
wolves are associated together ; but in Canada a single wolf will kill the largest 
male reindeer. Birds always form an acceptable portion of a wolf's diet. 
When hard pressed by hunger, wolves will eat almost anything they come 
across, down to mice and frogs, and, it is said, even buds of trees and lichens. 

The lair of the wolf is formed either in a rocky cavern, within the hollow 
of a fallen trunk, beneath the roots of an overthrown tree, or more rarely in 
holes in the ground ; such burrows being sometimes dug by the animal itself. 
A dense thicket will alsoi not unfrequently serve as a hiding-place. The 
ordinary cry of the wolf is a loud and prolonged howl. The amount of noise 
that a single wolf is capable of producing is simply astonishing; and many 
amusing episodes of camp lore owe their origin to this fact. More than 
one lone traveler has hastily taken to a tree, and remained in the inhospitable 
shelter of its branches for an entire night, believing himself surrounded by 
a paqk of at least fifty fierce and hungry wolves, when in reality there was 
but one, and (as its tracks afterwards proved) that was on the further side 
of a lake, a couple of miles away. 

The endurance of the wolf's gallop has become proverbial. When pursued 
by wolves, deer make for the nearest water, in which they have a chance 
to escape, being able to swim, much faster than their enemies. Should the 
river or lake be narrow, the deer generally swim either up or down, seldom 
straight across ; frequently landing, after a detour, on the same side in which 
they entered the water. By this means the wolves are puzzled and put off 
tlie scent. If there are thick weeds or bush along the shore, the deer frequently 
sinks his body under water, so that no part will appear above the surface but 
his head, and by this means is enabled tO' evade the cunning of his pursuers. 
The wolf displays remarkable caution in avoiding all kinds of traps set for 
his destruction ; and when he is caught will frecjuently feign death in tbo Jiope 
of being able to escape. 




THE STORY OF THE BADGER. 



The badger was formerly so common in Wisconsin that the early inhab- 
itants of that state gave the nickname of "badger state" to the common- 
wealth. In like manner Michigan has acquired the title of "wolverine state" 
because the animal called wolverine is an old settler near the great lakes 
bounding Michigan on three sides. Both these animals belong to the weasel 
family and possess many traits in common. 

The fact that the badger is an inoffensive animal, not interfering with 
man nor the crops he raises, has not saved him from much ill treatment, 
until the term, "badgering," has come into use. It expresses irritating treat- 
ment accorded an inofifensive person or animal. 

Badgers for the most part live on the ground and in burrows. The body 
is stoutly built, the limbs are short and strong, and armed with large claws. 
The length is from thirty inches to three feet, and the height at the shoulder 
some twelve inches. The general color is gray, but the head is white, with 
a black band on each side. These animals feed on mice, snakes and frogs, 
insects, fruits, acorns, and roots. They are very fond of wasps' nests. The 
cruel sport of badger-baiting — now, fortunately, nearly extinct — consisted 
of putting a badger in a barrel and setting on dogs to pull him out. 

The dogs are frequently worsted by the badger, as its bite is terrific, and 

its skin so tough, and hair so thick, that the bites of the dog do not take full 

effect. 

341 



343 



THE STORY OF THE BADGER. 



The power of the badger's bite is caused principaUy by the manner in 
which the under jaw is set on. Not only are its teeth sharp, and the leverage 
of its jaw powerful, but the jaw is so contrived, that when the creature 
closes its mouth, the jaw locks together as it were, and is held fast without 
much exertion on the part of the badger. 

The European badger is a clumsy animal with a lengthy body and short 
legs. It lives in the woods, generally, in the densest part of the forest. For 
its home, it digs a large burrow in the ground and it makes but one entrance 




AMERICAN BADGERS. 

to that burrow. In the bottom of the burrow it lays grass and hay and has 
a very comfortable house in which to live. The badger is a skilful digger 
and for this purpose was given strong, curved claws. The badger can l^e 
tamed and is said to show a good deal of affection for its master. Like the 
wolf, it treads upon its heels, although its walk is similar to that of the bear. 
It is' said they embrace each other and when they gambol and play utter a 
cry so loud as to startle one. 

In this country, in Canada and Northern Europe the badger hibernates. 



THE STORY OF THE BADGER. 



343 



About the latter part of October or first few weeks in November, the animal 
sleek and fat, enters its burrow and goes to sleep. It remains there until 
the warm sun of the spring months wakes it, when it appears, but little the 
worse for its long seclusion. 

The fast of five or six months leaves the animal in better condition than 
are most of the other hibernating creatures when they issue forth in spring. 

It has been very generally asserted that badgers and foxes do not get 




POUCHED BADGER OF AUSTRALIA. 



on well together, and that the former kill the cubs of the latter. I know of 
a case where the badgers and the foxes were not unfriendly, and one spring 
a litter of cubs was brought forth very near the badgers; but their mother 
removed them after they had grown familiar, as she probably thought they 
were showing themselves more than was prudent. More than one instance 
has come to my notice where these two animals have lived amicably together 



344 • THE STORY OF THE BADGER, 

in the same burrow; in one of these cases a fox having annually given birth 
to cubs in the badger's den. 

Within the deep recesses of its burrow, which often terminates in a fork- 
like manner, are born the young of the badger; the number in a litter being 
usually three or four. The young are produced during the summer; and 
are at first blind, not acquiring the power of sight till the tenth day. 

When the badger apprehends danger, in order to afford additional 
security, the mouth of the burrow is blocked from the inside by its occupant. 
The burrow is always kept scrupulously clean, and is lined with fern and 
other vegetable substances. As the winter approaches, the old bedding is 
replaced by dry fern and grass raked together by the badger's powerful 
claws. This is often left to wither in little heaps till dry enough for the 
purpose. Partially concealed, I have watched a badger gathering fern, and 
using a force in i+s collection quite surprising. 

The fur is of some value, being used for muffs, tippets, robes and trim- 
mings, while the long hairs are employed in the manufacture of brushes. 
The 'price of a skin is from a dollar to two dollars. 

In Australia where many of the animals like the kangaroo, the wolf, the 
marten and others are fitted by nature with a bag or pouch in which they 
carry their young, is found a queer little animal known as the bondicot or 
long-nosed pouched badger. Little is known of the habits of this animal. 
Occasional specimens have exceedingly long ears like the one shown in our 
illustration. 

This badger feeds on plants and seeds, and also on insects and worms. 

Another pecuHar species of badger is found in East Africa. It is called 
the ratel or honey badger. 

It surpasses the skunk in the rapidity with which it burrows, and like that 
animal emits an offensive odor when irritated or attacked. The face of the 
honey badger and all the lower parts of its body are black, while the upper 
parts and the back are gray. It is a skillful bee hunter, although it cannot 
climb. The bees that make their nests in the deserted burrows of ground 
animals fall easy victims to the ratel. 

The sand-badgers, or, as they are often termed, hog-badgers, are easily 
distinguished from the other members of the group by their longer tails ; that 
of the Indian species being from a quarter to a third the length of the head and 
body. The long and naked snout is very like that of the Malayan badger; the 
eyes are small, and the ears also small and rounded. The body is rather 
flattened from side to side ; and only a portion of the naked soles of the feet 



THE STORY OF THE BADGER. 



345 



is applied tO' the ground in walking. The coat consists of a full soft under- 
fnr, mingled with long stiff hairs. In color the Indian sand-badger is dirty 
grey both above and below, with a more or less marked blackish tinge on the 
back, most of the individual hairs being dirty white throughout their length, 
but the longer ones on the back and sides having black tips. The head is 
vv^hite, with black bands, while the lower parts and limbs are dusky, the limbs 
being sometimes black. 

It frequents stony ground or small hills among jungle, and lives in fissures 




THE RATEL, OR HONEY BADGER. 



of the rocks or holes dug by itself. It is thoroughly nocturnal. In captivity 
it is dull and uninteresting, feeding on meats, fish, reptiles, or fruits, and it is 
particularly fond of earth-worms. One individual used to pass the day sleep- 
ing in a hole that it had dug, and was very savage if disturbed. When angry 
it made a loud grunting noise and bit fiercely. It was dull of sight, and its 
only acute sense appeared to- be that of smell. It was in the habit of raising 
its snout in the air in order to scent any one who approached, much as a pig 
does. This animal had no disagreeable smell. 




THE STORY OF THE HYENA. 



In all my associations with hunters, travellers and naturalists, I have 
never yet been able to find one who would defend the hyena, which by com- 
mon consent is classed as the most skulking, cowardly, cruel and treacherous 
of beasts. 

The hyena is remarkable for its predatory, ferocious, and withal cowardly 
habits. There are several hyenas, the striped, the spotted, and the shaggy, 
rough-coated, but the habits of all are very similar. The hyenas, although 
very repulsive in appearance, are yet very useful, as they prowl in search of 
dead animals, especially of the larger kinds, and will devour them even when 
putrid, so that they act the same part among beasts that the vultures do 
among birds, and are equally uninviting in aspect. They not unfrequently 
dig up recently interred corpses, and in Abyssinia they even flock in numbers 
into the village streets, where they prey on slaughtered men who are thrown 
out unburied. One of these animals attacked the explorer Bruce in his tent, 
and was only destroyed after a severe battle. Their jaws and teeth are ex- 
ceedingly powerful, as they can crush the thigh-bone of an ox with appar- 
ently little effort; and so great is the strain upon the bones by the exertions 
of these muscles, that the vertebrae of the neck become united together, and 
the animal has a perpetual stiff neck in consequence. 

In Syria and Palestine the favorite haunts of the striped hyena are the 

346 



THE STORY OF THE HYENA. 



347 



rock-cut tombs so common in these countries; but in India it is more com- 
monly found in holes and caves in rocks. I have more than once turned one 
out of a sugar-cane field when looking for jackals, and it- very commonly 
lurks among ruins; but in general its den is in a hole dug by itself on the 
side of a hill or ravine, or a cave in a rock. The call of the hyena is a very 
disagreeable, unearthly cry, and dogs are often tempted out by it when near, 
and fall a victim to the stealthy marauder. On one occasion a small dog be- 
longing to an officer was taken off by a hyena very early in the morning. 




SPOTTED HYENA. 



The den of this beast was known to be not far ofT in some sandstone cliffs, 
and some sepoys of the detachment went after it, entered the cave, killed the 
hyena, and recovered the dog alive, with but little damage done to it. A hyena, 
though it does not appear to move very fast, gets over rough ground in a 
wonderful manner, and it takes a good long run to overtake it on horseback, 
unless in most favorable ground. A stray hyena is now and then met with by 
a party of sportsmen, followed and speared; but sometimes not till after a run 



348 THE STORY OF THE HYENA. 

of three or four miles, if the ground is broken by ravines. It is a cowardly 
animal, and shows but little fight when brought to bay. The young are very 
tamable, and show great signs of attachment to their owner, in spite of all 
that has been written about the untamable ferocity of the hyena. 

The striped hyena's food is mainly carrion or carcasses killed by other ani- 
mals; and in inhabited districts the animal is much dreaded on account of its 
grave-robbing propensities. Portions of such carcasses as it finds are eaten on 
the spot, while other parts are dragged ofif to its den, the situation of which 
is generally indicated by the fragments of bones around the entrance. These 
hyenas will also feast on skeletons that have been picked down to the bone by 
jackals and vultures; the bone-cracking power of the hyena's jaws rendering 
such relics acceptable, if not favorite, food. 

The striped hyena — probably on account of its "body-snatching" propen- 
sities — is cordially detested by the natives of all the countries it inhabits. 
When a hyena is killed, the body is treated in many parts of India with every 
mark of indignity, and finally burnt. On one occasion in the Punjab, I came 
across a party of natives cruelly ill-treating a nearly full-grown hyena, which 
had been rendered helpless by its jaws being muzzled and its feet broken. I 
soon ended the sufferings of the poor brute by a bullet. 

Although, owing to their nocturnal habits, hyenas are seldom seen, yet 
in some parts of India, from the multitude of their tracks, they must be very 
common. 

The African spotted hyena is much larger and more powerful than the 
striped species. It inhabits the greater part of Africa at the present day. 
Formerly the geographical range of this hyena was far more extensive than 
it is at present, as is proved by the vast quantities of its remains found in the 
caves of various parts of Europe, from Gibraltar in the south to Yorkshire in 
the north. It was formerly considered, indeed, that the so-called "cave- 
hyena" indicated a distinct species from the living one; but zoologists are 
now generally in accord in regarding the two as specifically identical, al- 
though the fossil European hyenas were generally of larger dimensions than 
the existing African form. 




THE STORY OF THE LLAMA. 



When Pizarro and his Spaniards conquered Peru they found a beast of 
burden in use by the Peruvians, and along with the other booty gained they 
acquired this animal, which is called the llama. The tons of gold and silver 
sent to Spain were all transported from the mountain recesses to the 
coast on the backs of the llama. 

Only the males were used as beasts of burden, while the smaller females 
were kept for their milk and flesh. In traveling along the roads the droves 
marched in single file, under the guidance of a leader; and such a line 
would traverse the highest passes of the Cordillera, and skirt the most 
stupendous precipices with perfect safety. When not in active use, the herds 
of llamas were kept on the higher mountain pastures, where they would 
often temporarily associate with wild guanacos. The Spanish conquerors of 
Peru spoke of llama flesh as being fully equal to the best mutton, and they 
established in the towns shops for its regular sale. At the period of the 
conquest it is estimated that upwards of three hundred thousand llamas 
were employed in the transport of the product of the mines of Potosi alone. 

The llama can conveniently carry from loo to 125 pounds, but should 
the load put upon it exceed its strength, it lies down, and shows itself inflex- 
ible to force or persuasion until it is removed or lightened. Its usefulness 

349 



350 THR STORY OP THE LLAMA. 

in the silver mining districts cannot be overestimated, for it can carry the 
metal from the mines in places of such abrupt descent that neither mules 
nor asses can keep their footing. 

These animals ai'e comparatively small and possess no hump, so that 
they may easily be distinguished from the camels. Their hair is very 
woolly, and their countenance has a very sheep-like expression. A full- 
haired llama instantly reminds the spectator of a long-legged, long-necked 
sheep. The feet of the llamas are very different from those of the camels, as 




their haunts are always found to be upon rocky ground, and must of necessity 
be accommodated to the ground on which they are accustomed to tread. 
The toes of the llama are completely divided, and are each furnished with a 
rough cushion beneath, and a strong claw-like hoof above, so that the 
member may take a firm hold of rocky or uneven ground. 

A flock of llamas journeying across the table lands is a beautiful sight. 
They proceed at a slow and measured pace, gazing eagerly in every direc- 



THR STORY OF THE LLAMA. 



351 



tior.. When scared by any unusual object, the flock separates and scatters 
all round about, so that the arrieros, as the caretakers are called, have no 
little difficulty in reassembling it. The Indians are very fond of these 
animals. They adorn them by tying bows of ribbon to their ears, and 
hanging bells around their necks; and before loading they always fondle and 
caress them ai^ectionately. If, in the course of the journey, a llama grows 
fatigued and lies down, the arriero kneels beside it and addresses it with the 




A WHITE ALPACA. 



most coaxing and endearing expressions. But, in spite of all the care 
and attention bestowed upon them, many llamas perish on every journey 
to the coast, being unable to endure a warm climate. 

When resting they give utterance to a curious humming sound, which, 
when heard at a distance, and proceeding from a numerous flock, resembles 
a concert of Aeolian harps. 



352 THR STORY OP THE' LLAMA, 

When wild they are very timid, and fly from a pursuer the moment that 
they see him, but their curiosity is so great that the hunter often secures 
them by lying on the ground and throwing his legs and arms about. The 
llamas come to see what the extraordinary animal can be, and give the hunter 
an opportunity of firing several shots, which the astonished animals consider 
as part of the performance. 

The llamas, like the camels, have a series of cells in the stomach for con- 
taining water, and can go for several days without requiring to drink. 

Llamas produce only one offspring at a time, so that their rate of increase 
is not very rapid. 

It is from the wild animals known as guanacos and vicunias that the llama 
and white alpaca are descended. 

The range of the guanaco is very wide, extending from the lofty moun- 
tains of Ecuador and Peru, where it is found in company with the vicunia, to. 
the plains of Patagonia and the islands of Tierra-del-Fuego. 

In the mountains the habits of the guanacoi appear toi be very similar to 
those of the vicunia, but it is not unfrequently seen in larger flocks, which 
may occasionally reach as many as one hundred or even five hundred head. 
These animals are very wild and wary, and frequently the first evidence of 
their presence in the neighborhood of the hunter is their loud, neighing alarm- 
cry, which makes itself heard at a great distance. If the hunter looks at- 
tentively he will then probably see the herd standing in a line on the side 
of some distant hill. On approaching nearer, a few more squeals are given, 
and off they set at an apparently slow but really quick canter, along some 
narrow beaten track to a neighboring hill. If, however, by chance he abruptly 
meets a single animal, or several together, they will generally stand motionless 
and intently gaze at him, then perhaps move on a few yards, turn round, and 
look again. They are easily domesticated, and in the wild state have no notion 
of defending themselves. Guanacos take readily to the water; several times 
at Port Valdes they were seen swimming from island to island. Byron, in 
his voyage, says he saw them drinking salt-water. Some of our men likewise 
saw a herd apparently drinking the briny fluid from a salina near Cape Blanco. 
The white alpaca has for ages furnished the aborigines of Peru with the 
material for their blankets and ponchos. The wool of the alpaca is to-day the 
only thoroughly satisfactory material for producing the fine luster in ex- 
pensive fancy fabrics. On this account the alpaca has retained its place as 
a useful domestic animal, in spite of having lost its prestige in some degree by 
the importation of European species into Peru. 




STORY OF THE CARPINCHO. 



This animal is generally known as the water-hog, and is found in the 
large rivers of South America. It is now almost extinct, a few specimens 
being still to be found near the head waters of the Amazon. It attains a 
length of five feet, and often weighs over loo pounds. 

This animal is thoroughly aquatic in its habits, frequenting the margins 
of lakes and rivers, and swimming and diving with great speed. I saw 
several at the islands in the mouth of the Plata, where the water is quite 
salt, but they are more abundant on the borders of fresh-water lakes and 
rivers. Near Maldonado three or four generally live together. In the day- 
time they either lie among the aquatic plants, or openly feed on the turf 
plain. When viewed at a distance, from their manner of walking, as well 
as from the color, they resemble pigs; but when seated on their haunches, 
and attentively watching any object with one eye, they resume the appear- 
ance of their relatives, the cavies. These animals were very tame; by cau- 
tiously walking, I approached within three yards of four old ones. This 
tameness may probably be accounted for by the jaguar having been banished 
for some years, and by the gaucho not thinking it worth his while to 
hunt them. As I approached nearer and nearer, they frequently made their 
peculiar noise, w^iich is a low, abrupt grunt, not having much actual sound, 
but rather arising from the sudden expulsion of the air; the only noise I 
know at all like it is the first hoarse bark of a large dog. Having w^atched 

353 



354 



THE STORY OF THE CARPINCHO. 



the four, from almost within arm's length for several minutes, they rushed 
into the water at full gallop, with the greatest impetuosity, and emitted at 
the same time their bark. After diving a short distance, they came again 
to the surface, but only just showed the upper parts of their heads. 

In other places the carpincho occurs in larger herds, which may com- 
prise twenty or more individuals. The usual pace of the animal is a long 
trot, of no great swiftness; but when pressed it will advance in a series of 
leaps. It has no regular lair, although the herd generally returns to the 




THE CARPINCHO OR WATER HOG. 



same part of the river bank. The general food consists of water plants and 
the bark of young trees, but in the neighborhood of cultivated lands car- 
pinchos will consume large quantities of watermelons, maize, rice and 
sugarcane. In disposition these animals are quiet and peaceful, not to- say 
stupid, and they never appear to indulge in sportive gambols. They occupy 
their time either in feeding- or in reposing in a listless manner on the banks 
of the rivers or lakes they frequent. When thus reposing, one individual 
will from time to time raise its head to see if any foe be approaching, 
and if an alarm arise they soon plunge headlong into the water. 




STORY OF THE ANT-EATER. 



As its name imports, the ant-eater lives principally upon ants and termites, 
or white -ants, as they are called, which it takes by thrusting its long, slender 
tongue among the ants, which adhere toi it by a gummy saliva. When the 
tongue is covered it is rapidly retracted, and the ants swallow^ed. 

Its short legs and long claws would lead an observer to^ suppose that its 
pace was slow and constrained ; but, when chased, it runs off with a jjeculiar 
trot, and with such rapidity that it keeps a horse toi its speed tO' overtake it. 

The tongue of this animal looks exactly like a great red worm, and, when 
the creature is engaged in devouring its food, the rapid coiling and twisting 
of the tong^ie add in no small degree tO' the resemblance. 

The claws are very long and curved, and. as they are used in tearing down 
the habitation of the teraiites, are exceedingly strong. They are placed on 
the foot in such a manner that, when the animal is walking, its w^eight rests 
on the outside of the fore-feet and the outer edge of the claw^s, which make 
a great clattering if the ant-eater is walking upon a hard surface. 

When it sleeps it lies on one side, rolls itself up, sO' that its snout rests 
on its breast, places all its feet together, and covers itself with its bushy tail. 
The fur of the animal at all times resembles hay, and, when it is thus curled 
(up in sleep, it is so exactly like a bundle of hay, that any one might pass it 
carelessly, imagining it to be nothing but a loose heap of that substance. 

A tame ant-eater once in my possession by no means restricted itself to ani:s, 

355 



356 THE STORY OF THE ANT-EATER. 

hut devoured meat, when minced, with much avidity. The ordinary length 
of this animal is about four feet and its height about three feet. 

Although distributed over the whole of the tropical portions of South and 
Central America, the great ant-eater is nowhere commou ; and from its habits 
of only being abroad at night is but seldom seen. It frequents either the low, 
wet lands bordering the rivers, or swampy forests; and is strictly a ground 
animal in its habits. Its strong claws might lead to the supposition that the 
creature was a burrower, but this is not the case. It has, however, usually 
a regular lair, or at least a regular place of resort, generally situated among 
tall grass, where it spends the day in slumber, lying . on one side, with 
its head buried in the long fur of the chest, the legs folded together, and the 
huge tail curled round the exposed side of the body. Except in the case of 
females with young, the ant-eater is, as a rule, a solitary creature. Its usual 
pace is a kind of trot, but when pursued it breaks intO' an awkward, shuffling, 
slow gallop. The food oif the great ant-eater consists exclusively O'f ants, 
together with their larvae. In order to obtain these insects, the ant-eater tears 
open their nests or hillocks with the powerful claws oi its fore-feet. As soon 
as the light of day is let into their domicile, the ants rush tO' the surface in 
order tO' investigate the cause of the disturbance, and are forthwith swept 
up by hundreds, adhering to the sticky tongue of the ant-eater, which is pro- 
truded and withdrawn with lightning-like rapidity. 

The lesser ant-eater is an animal of scarcely half the size of the greater 
ant-eater, with a shorter head and longer ears. 

The tamandua, which is the Portuguese term for the creature, the native 
name being caguari, ranges through the tropical forests of South and Central 
America. It mainly lives in trees, its climbing powers being largely aided 
by the prehensile tail. It may be sometimes seen abroad during the day. Its 
movements are more rapid than those of the great ant-eater ; and when asleep 
it lies on its belly, with the head bent under the chest and covered with the 
fore-feet, while the tail is curled along the side. Its food apparently consists 
mainly O'f ants — probably belonging tO' tree species — ^but it has been sug- 
gested that honey may likewise form a portion of its diet. Like the great 
ant-eater, it produces only a single young one at a birth. 

The third and last representative oi the family is noi larger than a rat. 
The length of the head and body is only six inches, and that of the highly 
prehensile tail a little over seven inches. The fore-feet have four toes, of 
which those corresponding to the index and third fingers of man alone have 
claws; the claw of the third toe being very much larger than that of the 



THE STORY OF THE ANT-EATER. 



357 



second. In the hind-feet there are four nearly equal-sized toes, which are 
placed close tog-ether so as tO' form a hook-like organ somewhat after the 
fashion of the foot of a sloth. The fur is soft, thick and silky ; its color being 
generally foxy red above and gray beneath, with the individual hairs grayish 
brown or black at the base, and yellowish brown at the tips. The skull differs 
from that of the other ant-eaters by its shorter muzzle. The lower jaw is less 
widely removed from the ordinary type. Another peculiarity in the skeleton 
is the presence of well-developed collar-bones. 




THE GREAT ANTEATER. 



THE ANT-BEAR. 

THE LESSER ANT-EATER. 



The two-toed ant-eater is an exclusively tree inhabiting animal. It in- 
habits Northern Brazil, Guiana and Peru, between the tenth parallel of south 
and the sixth parallel of north latitude, and it also extends into Central 
America ; its range thus including the very hottest portions of the continent. 
In the mountains it ascends toi an elevation of some two thousand feet above 
the sea. It is either a rare creature, or one but seldom seen, even by the 
natives ; frecjuenting the thickest portions of the forests, and escaping ol> 
(^erv^tjon through its habits and srnall giz?. Like its larg-er rejatiyeSj it leads, 



358 THE STORY OF THE ANT-EATER. 

except during the pairing-season, a solitary existence; and it is likewise 
nocturnal, sleeping during the day among the boughs. Its movements are 
generally slow and deliberate; but when so' disposed, it can climb quickly, 
always with the aid of the tail. Ants, termites, bees, wasps and their larvae 
are its food. When it has captured a large insect, it sits up on its haunches 
like a squirrel, and conveys the prey to its mouth with its paws. I had one 
of these ant-eaters brought to me which had been captured while slumbering 
in a hollow tree. I kept it in the house for twenty-four hours, wdiere it re- 
mained nearly all the time without motion, except when irritated, in which 
case it reared itself on its hind-legs from the back of a chair, to which it 
clung, and clawed out with its fore-paws like a cat. Its manner of clinging 
with its claws, and the sluggishness of its motions, gave it a great resemblance 
to a sloth. It uttered no' sound, and remained all night on the spot where I 
had placed it in the morning. The next day I put it on a tree in the open air, 
and at night it escaped. 

Usually the ant-eater is a harmless, inoffensive creature, which may be 
driven in almost any direction so long as it is not pressed toO' hard. If, how- 
ever, driven to close quarters, it turns furiously on its assailants, whom it at- 
tacks by hugging with its immensely muscular arms. It has been asserted, 
on the authority of the natives, that the ant-eater will even face and attack 
the jaguar; and although the truth of this statement was denied by the 
traveler Azara, a later explorer believes that it may be founded on fact. 
Like the sloths, ant-eaters are exceedingly difficult tO' kill, their, skin l3eing 
so tough that an ordinary small hunting-knife will make no' impression on 
it, while their skulls may be battered with a heavy stone without producing 
any other effect than temporarily stunning the creatures. 

The porcupine ant-eater is found in several parts of Australia, where it is 
popularly called the hedgehog, on account of the hedgehog-like spines with 
which the body is soi thickly covered, and its custom of rolling itself up when 
alarmed. A number of coarse hairs are intermingled with the spines, and 
the head is devoid of these weapons. The head is strangely lengthened, in 
a manner somewhat similar tO' that of the ant-eater, and there are nO' teeth of 
any kind in the jaws. 

The food consists of ants and other insects, which it gathers into its mouth 
by means of the long extensile tongue. It is a burrowing animal, and is 
therefore furnished with limbs and claws of proportionate strength. Indeed, 
one who kept one of these animals for some time, considers it as the strongest 
quadruped in existence in proportion to its size, On moderately soft ground 



THE STORY OF THE ANT-EATER. 



359 



it can hardly be captured, for it gathers all its legs under its body, and employs 
its digging claws with such extraordinary vigor that it sinks in the ground 
as if by magic. It is tolerably widely spread over the sandy wastes of Aus- 
tralia, but has not been seen in the more northern portions of that country. 
The ant-eaters, or, as they are often called, ant-bears, differ so widely 




THE PORCUPINE ANT-EATER ROLLED UP. 



in appearance and structure from the sloths that it is difficult to believe at 
first sight in their close relationship; indeed, had it not been for the fortunate 
preservation of the remains of the ground-sloths, it may be questioned 
whether even zoologists would have fully understood the alliance of the 
two. 




THE STORY OF THE OSTRICH. 



Ostrich farming has become an important industry in several parts of 
Africa and Asia, and has been introduced recently into the United States and 
is successfully carried on in Arizona and California. I have frecjuently had 
opportunities to study the habits of this bird at these farms. None of the 
characteristics of the ostrich is as unique as the manner oi hiding from a foe 
adopted by the foolish bird. As it lives chiefly in desert-like districts where 
the soil is sandy, it experiences little difficulty in burying its head, and this 
subterfuge is always adopted when flight is not possible. I have often seen 
a recently captured ostrich watch the approach of a man, and after seeking 
to escape, it simply dropped to its knees and dug its head into the sand until 
its eyes were covered. This attitude it would maintain for half an hour, 
when, looking up and the man being out of sight, it would resume its 
gambols or feeding. But when flight is possible, it escapes danger by run- 
ning. Since it cannot run in a straight line, a man on horseback can readily 
secure it by intercepting its course, instead of riding after it. Its speed is 
greater than that of the fastest horse. 

I have seen a number of large ostriches, one of which measured 4 feet 
10 inches in height at the back, and had a total length of 4 feet 3 inches. 
Ordinary examples reach only about 3 feet 8 inches in height. 

The digestion of an ostrich is proverbial, and while in their general diet 
these birds will eat all kinds of food, they are likewise in the habit of swallow- 

360 



THE STORY OF THE OSTRICH. 



361 



ing stones, sand, bones, or even pieces of metal, to aid in digestion. In 
captivity this habit probably becomes abnormally developed; and I know 
of instances where even the constitution of an ostrich could not resist the 
effects of some of the substances swallowed. Among the ordinary food of 
the ostrich are comprised many small animals, birds, snakes, lizards and 
insects, as well as grass, leaves, fruits, berries and seeds. 

I knew of one that swallowed some broken bits of glass and died in 




A MALE OSTRICH. 



great agony. It was a female. So devoted was the male that he pined, 
and died of grief. 

The ostrich is chiefly valuable for its plumage, and the Arabians have 
reduced the chase of it to a kind of science. They hunt it on horseback, and 
begin their pursuit by a gentle gallop; for, should they at the outset use 
the least rashness, the matchless speed of the game would immediately carry 
it out of their sight, and in a very short time beyond their reach. But when 
they proceed gradually, it makes no particular effort to escape. It does 



562 



THE STORY OF THE OSTRICH. 



not go in a direct line, but runs either in a large circle or first to one side 
and then to the other; this its pursuers take advantage of, and, by rushing 
directly onward, save much ground. In a few days, at most, the strength 
of the animal is exhausted, and it then either turns on the hunters and fights 
with the fury of despair, or hides its head, and tamely receives its fate. 

I can attest to the development of the maternal instinct, which many 
naturalists deny. I once fell in with a troop of about twelve young ostriches 




^Ajuvyf^^f's^ 



,^^-.1^ 



HOW SOUTH AMERICAN OSTRICHES ARE HUNTED. 



which were not much larger than guinea-fowls. I w^as amused to see the 
mother endeavor to lead us away, exactly like a wild duck, spreading out 
and drooping her wings, and throwing herself down on the ground before us 
as if wounded, while the cock bird cunningly led the brood away in an 
opposite direction. 

The ostrich egg will weigh on the average about three pounds, being 
equal Xq two do^en ordinary fowl's eggs; yet one qI them is not thought too 




AFRICAN OSTRICHSS. 



363 



364 THE STORY OF THE OSTRICH. 

much for a single man to eat at a meal, and in one instance two men 
finished five in the course of an afternoon. The approved method of dress- 
ing ostrich eggs is to set the Ggg upright on the fire, break a round hole at 
the top, squeeze a forked stick into the aperture, leaving the stem protrud- 
ing, and then to twist the stick rapidly between the hands so as to beat up 
the contents of the tgg while it is being cooked. Within each egg there 
are generally some little smooth bean-shaped stones, which are composed 
of the same substance that forms the shell. 

In South America the place of the ostriches is taken by an allied group 
of birds known as rheas, or, as they are often termed, American ostriches. 
The wings are proportionately longer, and are covered with long, slender 
plumes. The best known, and at the same time the most abundant, of the 
three species by which the single genus is now represented, is the common 
rhea, inhabiting the pampas of Argentina and Patagonia. This species is 
far inferior in size to the ostrich, but it is the largest of the three. It is 
generally seen in pairs, though it sometimes associates together in flocks 
of twenty or thirty in number. Like all the members of this group, it is 
swift-footed and wary, but possesses so little presence of mind that it be- 
comes confused when threatened with danger, runs aimlessly first in one 
direction, and then in another, thus giving time for the hunter to come up 
and shoot it, or bring it to the ground with his "bolas" — a terrible weapon, 
consisting of a cord with a heavy ball at each end, which is flung at the 
bird and winds its coils around its neck and legs, so as to entangle it and 
bring it to the ground. 

Although now confined to Africa, Syria, Arabia and Mesopotamia — and 
becoming every year scarcer in the three last-mentioned countries — there is 
a probability that ostriches formerly existed within the historic period, in parts 
of Central Asia and possibly in Baluchistan, since there are several allusions 
to birds which can scarcely be anything else than ostriches in various ancient 
writings. Quite apart, however, from this, the evidence of its fossilized re- 
mains shows that an extinct species of ostrich, nearly allied to the existing 
kind, once inhabited North-Western India, and a petrified egg from the 
Province of Cherson in Russia, points to the former existence of these birds 
in that country. Originally it is probable that the ostrich ranged in suitable 
localities fromi Senegambia in the west, through Southern Moroccoi, Algeria 
and Egypt, to Arabia, Syria and Mesopotamia in the east; while in the 
other direction it extended from Algeria through Central and Eastern Africa, 




THE STORY OF THE LIZARD. 



In this country there are many harmless species of lizard, but in the 
Rocky Mountain region are found some that are exceedingly poisonous. The 
desert lizard, which ranges from; Central America tO' Arizona and New 
Mexico, is the only one that has a deadly sting. The fairy-like teeth have 
grooves for the transmission of the fluid similar to- the cobra. 

The lizards are usually active, bright-eyed little creatures, delighting to 
bask in the sun, near some safe retreat, to which they dart with astonishing 
celerity upon the slightest alarm. Two species of lizards are found in the 
eastern and central states — the common lizard and the sand lizard. The 
latter animal is considerably larger than the common lizard, as it sometimes 
measures a foot in length. It frequents sandy heaths, and in the sand its 
eggs are deposited, fourteen or fifteen in number. The eggs are hatched by 
the heat of the sun, and the young immediately lead an independent life. Dur- 
ing the winter this as well as the common lizard hibernates in a burrow 
usually made under the roots of a tree, nor does it again make its appearance 
until the spring. 

The common lizard is only six inches in length. It is more active than 
the sand lizard, disappearing like magic on being alarmed. When seized, its 
tail frequently snaps off like grass. 

The heart in man and the higher animals is divided into a double set of 
compartments, technically termed auricles and ventricles, each set having no 

365 



3G6 THE STORY OP THE LIZARD. 

direct communication with the other. In the reptiles, however, this structure 
is considerably modified, the arterial and venous blood finding a communica- 
tion either within or just outside the two ventricles, so that the blood is never 
so perfectly aerated as in the higher animals. The blood is consequently 
much colder than in the creatures where the oxygen obtains a freer access to 
its particles. 

In consequence of this organization the whole character of the reptiles is 
widely different from that of the higher animals. Dull sluggishness seems 
tO' be the general character of a reptile, for though there are some species 
which whisk about with lightning speed, and others, especially the larger 
lizards, can be lashed into a state of terrific frenzy by love, rage or hunger, 
their ordinary movements are inert, their gestures express no' feeling, and 
their eyes, though bright, are stony, cold and passionless. Their mode of 
feeding accords with the general habits of their bodies, and the process of 
digestion is peculiarly slow. 

The most peculiar feature of the lizard is the facility with which it is 
enabled to^ reproduce lost parts, and more especially the tail. In many lizards, 
when handled, the tail breaks off without any rough usage, and in all or 
nearly all it w'ill readily come in twoi if pulled when the creature is seeking 
to escape. Such missing portion of the tail is speedily reproduced, and 
vv^hereas the scaling of the reproduced portion is like the original, in certain 
other forms this is by nO' means always the case. 

The water monitor is a native of those parts of i\frica through which the 
Nile, its favorite river, flows. 

The natives have a curious idea that it is hatched from crocodile's eggs 
that have been laid on hot elevated spots, and that in process of time it be- 
comes a crocodile. It is almost always found in the water, though it some- 
times makes excursions on land in search of prey. To the natives it is a 
most useful creature, being one of the appointed means for keeping the num- 
bers of the crocodile within due bounds. It not only searches on land for the 
eggs of the crocodile, and thus destroys great numbers before they are hatched, 
but chases the young in the water, and devours them unless they can take 
refuge under the adult of their own species, which the monitor will not dare 
attack. 

When full grown, the water monitor attains a length of five or six feet. 
The color of this species is odive-gray above, with blackish mottlings. The 
head is gray, and, in the young animal, is marked with concentric rows of 
white spots. Upon the back of the neck is a series of whitish yellow bands, of 




THE BLACK IGUANA IN A BANANA TREE. 



367 



3G8 



THE STORY OF THE LIZARD. 



a horse-shoe, or semi-hinar shape, set crosswise, which, together with the 
equal-sized scales over the eyes, serve as marks which readily distinguish it 
from many other species. The under parts are gray, with cross bands of 
black, and marked with white spots when young. 

The lizards commonly known as flying dragons are elegant and harmless 
little creatures to whom such a title seems inappropriate, and therefore I 
prefer to substitute the name of flying lizards. These flying lizards, which 
are represented by twenty-one species, ranging over the greater part of the 




WATER MONITORS ROBBING A NEST. 



Oriental region, are at once distinguished from all their kindred by the de- 
pressed body being provided with a large wing-like membranous expansion, 
capable of being folded up like a fan. The throat is furnished with a large 
membranous expansion, on the sides of which are a smaller pair; and the 
tail is long and whip^like. The best known of the species is the Malav flying 
lizard. 

The flying lizards generally frequent the crown of trees, and as they 
are comparatively scarce, and seldom descend to the ground, they are but 




GREEN WALL LIZARDS. 



369 



sro fun STORY op the lizard. 

rarely seen. As the lizard lies in shade along the trunk of a tree, its colors 
at a distance appear like a mixture of brown and gray, and render it scarcely 
distinguishable from the bark. There it remains with no sign of life, except 
the restless eyes, watching passing insects, which, suddenly expanding its 
wings, it seizes with a sometimes considerable, unerring leap. The lizard 
itself appears to possess no power of changing its colors. When excited, the 
appendages on the throat are expanded or erected; and the ordinary move- 
ments of the creature take the form of a series of leaps. 

There is an Australian species commonly known as the moloch, but termed 
by the settlers the spiny lizard or thorny devil, which seems of peculiar in- 
terest to me. This differs from all the other members of the family in being 
co'vered wath large conical spines. About eight inches in total length, this 
extraordinary lizard has a small head, with an extremely short snout, on the 
summit of which are pierced the nostrils. O'n each side of the head imme- 
diately above the small eye is a large horn curving outwards and backwards, 
while there is a smaller conical spine above the nostril, a second behind the 
horn over the eye, a third and larger one in front of each ear, as well as one 
on each side. On the back the spines form ten or more series, of which the 
outermost are the largest. 

Inhabiting Southern and Western Australia, and being not uncommon in 
several localities in the neighborhood of Port Augusta, the moloch is found 
only in districts where the soil is dry and sandy. Occasionally two or three 
may be observed basking in company on the top of a sandhill ; and it is the 
frequent habit of this lizard to bury itself in the sand to a small depth below 
the surface. Although generally very slow in its movements, it has been 
known, when disturbed, to make for a neighboring hole with considerable 
speed. 



STORY OF THE KANGAROO. 



In the summer of the year 1770, when Captain Cook was refitting his 
vessel at the mouth of the Endeavour River in New South Wales, a party of 
his crew who had landed to procure food brought back reports of a strange 
animal of large size, which sat upright on its hind-limbs and tail, and pro- 
gressed by a series of enormous leaps. Excitement among those on board 
was naturally raised to the highest pitch by this account — especially as a 
naturalist. Sir Joseph Banks, was a member of the expedition — and soon after 
a specimen of the animal in question was killed. This creature was the one 
we know by the name of the great gray kangaroo and was the first member 
of the family which came fully under European notice. 

The name kangaroo is said to be of Australian origin, although it ap^- 
pears tO' be now unknown to the natives. The kangaroos are characterized by 
the great length and powerful development of the hind-limbs as compared 
with the front pair; and the enormous size of the tail, which is regularly 
tapering, and evenly covered with fur from end to end. 

All the members of the kangaroo family are purely vegetable feeders, and 
are mainly confined to Australia and Tasmania. 

From the general form and structure of the kangaroo, there can be little 
doubt that its chief progressive motion must be by leaps ; in these exertions it 

371 



^n THE STORY OF THE KANGAROO. 

has been seen to exceed twenty feet at a time, and this so often repeated as 
almost to elude the swiftness of the fleetest greyhound ; and it is able with 
ease to bound over obstacles as much as nine feet or more in height. 

Kangaroos have vast strength in their tail. This they occasionally use 
as a weapon of defense ; for they are able tO' strike with it so violent a blow 
as even to break a man's leg. But this is not their only weapon, for, when 
liunted, as they sometimes are, with greyhounds, they use both their claws and 
teeth. On the hounds' seizing them they turn, and catching hold with the 
nails of the fore-paws, strike the dog with the claws of their hind feet, and 
sometimes lacerate his body in a shocking manner. 

The kangaroo generally feeds standing on its four feet, in the manner 
of other quadrupeds, and it drinks by lapping. In a state of captivity it has 
a trick of sometimes springing forward, and kicking, in a forcible manner, 
^\'ith its hind-feet, during which action it rests or props itself on the base of 
its tail. 

The female seldom produces more than one young at a birth, and so ex- 
ceedingly diminutive is this that it scarcely exceeds an inch in length, and 
weighs but twenty-one grains. It is received into the abdominal pouch of the 
mother. At this period of its growth its fore-paws are comparatively large 
and strong, and the claws extremely distinct, to facilitate its motion during 
its residence in its mother's pouch. The hind legs, which are afterwards to 
become very bony and stout, are then shorter and smaller than the others. 

The young one continues to reside in the pouch till it has nearly attained 
maturity. It occasionally creeps out for exercise or amusement, and even 
after it has quitted this retreat it often returns to it for shelter on the least 
indication of danger. When they feed in herds of thirty and forty together, 
as they sometimes do, one of the herd is generally stationed as a guard at 
a distance from the rest. Their eyes are furnished with winking membranes, 
capable of being extended at pleasure over the ball. 

In the dense tropical forests of New Guinea and the north of Queensland 
are found tree-kangaroos; and it is evident that these are specially modified 
types which have taken to this mode of life, and are in nO' way connected with 
the ancestral forms of the family. The tree-kangaroos are easily recognized 
by the general proportions of the two pairs of limbs to the body being normal ; 
the length of the front pair being only slightly less than that of the hinder. 
The tail is very long, and thickly furred. Comparatively little is known of 
any of the species in their native haunts ; althpugh it appears that they spend 
most of their time in the trees. Dr. Guillemard, who had two of these ani- 



THE STORY OF THE KANGAROO. 



373 



mals alive on board ship, which he had captured in New Guinea, writes that 
the tree-kangarooi "is as yet a tyro in the art of cHmbing, performing this 
operation in the slowest and most awkward manner. Our pets, for instance, 
would take a full minute or more in ascending the back of a chair, but their 
hold is most secure ; and if we wished to pull them off, we had considerable 
difficulty in doing so-, so tightly do they cling." 

The natural walking position of this animal is on all four legs, although 
it constantly sits up on the hinder legs, or even stands on a tripod composed 
of its feet and tail, in order to look out over the tops of the luxuriant grass 





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A HERD OF KANGAROOS. 



among which it lives. The leaping mo'vements are required for haste or es- 
cape, the length of each leap being about fifteen feet. 

Of course this swiftness w'ould soon leave its pursuers behind, but the 
Australian is able to break one of its limbs, or strike it insensible to the ground 
with his boomerang, the most wonderful weapon that uncivilized man ever 
produced. This extraordinary missile is a flat, curved piece of wood, which 
the Australian natives can wield with wonderful skill, making it describe 
circles in the air, or rush at an object, and then return tO' its owner's feet; 



374 



THE STORY OF THE KANGAROO. 



or throw it at the ground and make it leap over a tree and strike an -object at 
the other side. 

Hunting- this animal is a very favorite sport with both colonists and na- 
tives. The latter either knock it down with the boomerang, spear it from be- 
hind a bush, or unite together and hem in a herd, which soon fall victims to 
the volleys of clubs, spears and boomerangs which pour in on all sides. 




THE "boomer" kangaroo AND ITS HABITS. 

The colonists either shoot it or hunt it with dogs, a pack of which is 
trained for that purpose, just as fox-hounds are taught in England. 

The "old man," or ''boomer," as the colonists call the great kangaroo', in- 
variably leads the dogs a severe chase, always attempting to reach water and 
escape by swimming. It is a formidable foe to the dogs when it stands at 
bay, as it seizes the dog with its fore-legs, and either holds him under water 
until he is drowned, or tears him open with a well-directed kick of its powerful 
hind-feet, which are armed with a very sharp claw. 




STORY OF THE HEDGEHOG. 



School children in England become familiar with a strange little animal 
that is rarely seen in this country, although it inhabits parts of Africa and 
Asia. It is the hedgehog, or urchin, which is guarded with spikes. These 
spikes are fixed into: the skin in a very beautiful and simple manner. When 
the hedgehog is annoyed it rolls itself up, and the tightness oi the skin causes 
all its spines toi stand firm and erect, bidding defiance toi an unprotected hand. 
While rolled up, even the dog and the fox are baffled by it; but their in- 
genuity enables them toi overcome the difificulty by rolling it along until they 
push it intoi a puddle or pool, when the astonished hedgehog immediately un- 
rolls itself tOi see what is the matter, and before it can close itself again is 
seized by its crafty enemy. 

Many more fortunate animals have outlived the aspersions cast upon their 
character by ignorant persons, but the prejudice against the hedgehog is still 
in full vigor in the agricultural districts. Scarcely a farmer or a laborer will 
be persuaded that the hedgehog does not suck the cows. Now this is an im- 
possibility for the hedgehog. The food of the hedgehog consists not of cow's 
milk, but insects, frogs, mice and snakes. I once placed a snake in the same 
box with a hedgehog. The hedgehog gave the snake a severe bite, and then 
rolled itself up, this .process being repeated until the spine of the snake was 

375 



376 THE STORY OF THE HEDGEHOG. 

broken in several places ; it then began at the tail, and ate the snake gradually, 
as one would eat a radish. 

The hedgehog also feeds on earthworms, slugs and snails, and in destroy- 
ing the latter it may certainly be regarded as a friend toi the gardener. The 
consumption of earthworms is performed in a rather curious manner. These 
animals are seized when they are enjoying the damp freshness of the air out 
of their holes, in summer evenings, and slowly passed intO' the mouth O'f 
their enemy from one end to the other, apparently by the simple process of 
mastication with the molar teeth, the unconsumed portion of the wo'rm being 
constantly transferred from one side oi the imouth to the other, so' that both 
sides of the jaw may come into play. This must be an unpleasant operation 
for the worm, much as its captor may enjoy it. It is uncertain whether the 
larger snails are eaten by the hedgehog, but the smaller species certainly form 
a portion of its diet. 

The new-born young are almost naked, and their imperfect spines are 
soft, flexible and white, although rapidly hardening in the course O'f a few 
days. They are at first totally blind, and quite incapable of rolling themselves 
up. The nest in which the young are born is carefully constructed, and is 
said to be always protected from: rain by an efficient roof. In winter the 
European hedgehog hibernates completely, laying up noi store of food, but 
retiring tO' a nest of moss and leaves, where, rolled up in a ball, it lies torpid till 
awakened by the returning warmth of spring. 

The flesh of the hedgehog is said to> be good eating, and the Gypsies fre- 
quently make it a part of their diet, as doi the people in some parts of the 
continent. 

There is a peculiar method of preparing the animal for food, strongly re- 
minding one of the earth ovens used by the Polynesians. The hedgehog is 
simply wrapped up in a mass of clay and put on the fire. In process of time 
the clay is thoroughly baked, and cracks open, when the hedgehog is supposed 
to be cooked. On opening the clay, the skin comes off with it, while the in- 
sides of the animal have formed themselves into a hard ball, and are taken 
out entire. By this method of cooking the juices are retained, and not suffered 
to dissipate, as they would if it were roasted. 

The common hedgehog is characterized by the short and almost imper- 
ceptible neck, the pig-like snout, from which it derives its popular name, and 
also by the shortness of its limbs. Exclusive of the short naked tail, which 
measures about one and one-half inches, an average-sized hedgehog is about 
ten inches in length. The great peculiarity of all the hedgehogs is the power 



THE STORY OF THE HEDGEHOG. 



377 



they possess of rolling themselves up into a ball-like form, presenting- an array 
of spines, impenetrable to the great majority of other animals. This rolling- 
up process is effected by the aid of an extraordinary development of a layer 
O'f muscles found beneath the skin. When rolled up, the head and feet are 
tucked inwards, so that only the spines are exposed ; and it requires a bold 
dog or fox to attack a hedgehog when in this condition. Under the micro- 
scope the spine is seen to be marked by a number of parallel grooves. 



Hedgehogs are represented by five distinct varieties in India. It 



is re- 



markable that while one of these hedgehogs is found in Madras, no repre- 




EUROPEAN HEDGEHOGS. 



sentative is recorded from the Central Provinces and Bengal, the other species 
not occurring till we reach the North- West Provinces, the Punjab, etc. But 
little is known of the habits of these Indian species, and nothing as to their 
breeding; although it is probable that in both these respects they conform 
closely to their European cousin. The long-eared Afghan hedgehog common 
in the neighborhood of Kandahar and Quetta, hibemates, but the species from 
the Punjab and Southern India are active at all seasons of the year, thus 
showing how absolutely dependent is the habit of hibernation upoii climate. 
The collared hedgehog found in the plains of North-Western India, inhabits 



378 THE STORY OF THE HEDGEHOG. 

sandy country, hiding in holes beneath thorny bushes or in tufts of grass 
during the day, feeding chiefly on insects, especially a species of Blaps, and 
also on lizards and snails. It makes a grunting noise when irritated, and 
when touched suddenly jerks up its back so as to throw its spines forward, 
imaking at the same time a sound like a puff from a pair of bellows. The 
Afghan .hedgehog feeds on the slugs and snails sO' common in the fields around 
Kandahar, as well as worms, insects and lizards. It hides during the day in 
holes ; and hibernates from the end of October or beginning of November till 
P'ebruary. 

Young hedgehogs are pretty little creatures. The mother generally pro- 
duces from four to six at a birth. In color, they are, at first, a rose-white. 
When they get to. be the size of a hen's G:gg, their prickles are well developed. 
The mother nurses them for a short time only, and then leaves them to shift 
for themselves, which they are well able toi do. 

Hedgehogs are particularly fond of cockroaches, and people in England 
often keep them in the kitchen to destroy these pests. 

I once saw a hedgehog roll itself into a ball and drop a distance of four- 
teen feet into an area way without doing itself the least damage. This gives 
a very good idea of the strength of the prickles in its skin. 



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STORY OF THE WILD GOAT. 



I have hunted the wild goat in the Rocky Mountains, in equatorial Africa, 
in bleak Siberia and in the lofty Himalayas. In each oi these widely sep- 
arated districts the animal shows the same general characteristics and the 
hunter must needs use great caution if he hopes to secure his quarry. 

The so-called goat of the Rocky Mountains is about the size of a large 
sheep, and averages one hundred pounds in weight. It has very short and 
stout legs, terminating in broad and blunted hoofs, pointed ears and jet black 
horns, curving backwards, and ringed for abo'Ut half their length, but smooth 
above .this. The body is covered with a loiig coat of white hair, which is 
nearly straight, and falls on the sides of the body and limbs, but is erect along 
the middle of the back, and as it becomes longer over the withers and haunches 
the animal looks as though it had two humps. Beneath the hair there is a 
thick coat of wool. In length the horns vary from six tO' ten and one-half 
inches. 

The range of this animal extends through the Rocky Mountains from 
about latitude thirty-six degrees in California at least as far north as latitude 
sixty-two degrees. I believe that it will be found as far north as the moun- 
tains reach. It is extremely abundant in British Columbia, ranging from its 
southern boundary to the watershed of the Arctic Ocean, and from the coast- 
line to the Rockies. Here, amid nature's wildest scenes, amid storm-swept 

$79 



380 



THE STORY OF THE WILD GOAT. 



canons and beetling crags, amid steel-blue glaciers and snowy peaks, where 
the silence is seldom broken save by the rush of mountain torrent, the howling 
of the storm, or the crashing of the treacherous avalanche — here, far removed 
from the trail of the ordinary hunter, the mountain-goat, solitary in its habits, 
and contented with its chaotic and gloomy surroundings, increases and mul- 
tiplies. 

Its sure-footedness and its boldness are proverbial, as is its unpleasant 




SPIRAL-HORNED GOAT OF AFGHANISTAN. 



odor. The power possessed by the goats of ascending very steep heights is 
marvelous. On more than one occasion I have seen — contrary to the teaching 
of ^sop' — that when two individuals have met on a path too narrow for both 
to pass, one has lain down in order that the other might go over his back. 

The Spanish wild goat inhabits the Pyrenees, the ranges of Central Spain 
and the mountains of Portugal. The animal seeks the highest ridges and 
peaks of the mountains during the summer, but in winter the doe comes to 



THE STORY OF THE WILD GOAT. 



381 



the valleys, often to the villages. Far up among- the snow-covered heights 
can be found the old bucks, who' disdain seeking shelter from the storms. 

When feeding or reposing, sentinels are placed in commanding positions 
to apprise the flock of approaching danger, which they do' by means of a loud 
snort, upon which the whole company at once takes tO' flight. 




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ALPINE WILD GOATS. 



Probably the most active of the wild goats is the pasang of Persia, from 
which species the various breeds of domestic goats are derived. This species 
lias long scimitar-like horns, much compressed, with the front edge forming a 
sharp keel. It frequents craggy and rocky districts, taking leaps of great 
length with unerring precision. In spite of the constant persecution to^ which 



m TME STORY OF THE WILD GOAT. 

it is subjected, it exists in vast numbers. On the Kuh-i-barf, a not very lofty 
or extensive hill, constantly shot over, near Shiraz, I once counted over a 
hundred in a herd, which had been driven toigether by two' days' consecutive 
fusillade. It is marvelously shy and wary. In my earlier residence in Persia 
I spent many a weary day after them, but never managed to bag a buck. Even 
native sportsmen, though admirable shots and thoroughly familiar with 
every nook and cranny of the bills, rarely get one by fair stalking; most of 
those killed being obtained by building a wall of loose stones near water and 
shooting the goats when drinking. The males drink in the morning and 
evening only, but the females, in hot weather, at least, drink also^ at midday. 
Sixty miles north of Shiraz I came suddenly upon a herd of twenty or more 
does and kids, drinking by the roadside, a couple of hundred yards from the 
foot of the hills. Except when alarmed, bucks and does seem to keep apart. 

In Baluchistan these goats inhabit barren rocky hills, but in parts of Asia 
Minor they are found on forest-clad uplands. In such localities they may 
often be found within hearing of the drovers on the roads, or even of the 
railways ; but this confidence is accompanied by exceeding watchfulness. The 
number in a flock in these districts is generally from four tO' ten, and at the 
time of my observations bucks and does were found together. Sentinels are 
almost always posted to- warn the flock, these being relieved at short intervals ; 
and it appears that this sentry-duty is undertaken according to seniority, the 
youngest animals commencing first, and the oldest buck taking his turn last. 
In Asia Minor pasang are hunted both by driving and by stalking; but they 
are so cunning that the foniier method is not generally very successful. The 
Cabulis hunt them on the lower ground of Afghanistan with greyhounds. 

The bezoar-stone, so highly esteemed in Persia as an antidote to poison 
and a remedy for several diseases, is a concretion found in the stomach of the 
pasang, from whence it derives its old European name of Pazen, or Pasen. 

The wild goats of the Isle of Giura are probably derived from a domestic 
race, perhaps crossed with the pasang. Goats have also run wild in many 
other places, more especially mountainous islands like St. Helena, Tavolara 
near Sardinia, and Juan Fernandez. In St. Helena these wild goats have 
completely destroyed a large portion of the native flora, and this has resulted 
in the disappearance of much of the fauna. Goats were introduced by the 
Spaniards into Juan Fernandez in the year 1563. Tliese soon increased 
enormously, and in order to diminish their numbers dogs were subsequently 
let loose, and likewise ran wild. 




STORY OF THE MUSQUASH. 



Tliere are few American boys who have not had some experience with 
the musquash, commonly called muskrat. I have trapped hundreds of them 
accidentally. By this I mean that I have set traps for beavers, otters and minks, 
and upon visiting them the next day would find in a number of them only 
muskrats, instead oi the prey I was after. 

The musquash is a massively-built animal about a foot in length, with a tail 
ten inches long. The general color of the fur is blackish brown, turning into 
gray on the muzzle and under parts, and has the soft and velvety texture of 
that of the beaver'. It is, however, mostly shorter than in the latter, although 
on the back and flanks there are interspersed a number of longer bristle-like 
hairs. 

The geographical range oi the muscjuash extends from the so-called barren 
grounds of Arctic Am_erica to the genial climate of the Rio' Grande, while it 
alsO' reaches from the Atlantic to the Pacific. 

Musk-rats are thoroughly adapted for life in the water, and generally 
frequent ponds, swamps and sluggish streams. Althoug-h their food consists 
mainly of the roots oi grasses and water-plants, they consume considerable 
quantities of river mussels; they will likewise catch and eat fish, while they 
are said at times to devour the flesh of such individuals of their own species 

383 



384 



THE STORY OF THE MUSQUASH. 



as they may find dead, or wounded and helpless. Occasionally they wander 
considerable distances from the water. 

The musquash is an excellent diver, being able to remain below the surface 
of the water for a considerable time. It is less of a night animal than the 
beaver, and often may be seen swimming about in broad daylight, especially 
in cloudy weather. When diving it makes a loud noise by striking the water 
with its tail, the same as a beaver. 

Its long burrow always has its entrance below the surface of the water, 
from which it inclines upwards in the bank ten or fifteen feet,. and then widens 
out into a large chamber where the musquash makes its nest. Sometimes it 
wmII have one or two burrows leading from' this chamber further into the bank. 




THE MUSQUASH. 



Frequently the musquash collects heaps of vegetable matter in the form 
of hay-cocks over the place where it nests, with an airhole connecting its 
chamber with the outside world. In this respect also it resembles the beaver, 
except that many of the "musk-rat houses" contain no mud or sticks, but 
consist wholly of balls and knots of roots and swampHgrasses. 

The materials of which the hut is composed, it will be observed, are 
such as serve as food for the animals during the long winters; hence the 
musk-rat's house is in reality a storehouse, which he devours piecemeal as 
the winter advances. 




STORY OF THE WART-HOG. 



I do not know of any uglier animal than the wart-hog, with its huge 
tusks, big warty protuberances below the eyes and fierce-looking bristly mane. 
They are found over a large part of Eastern Africa, and are dangerous animals 
to come upon unawares. 

In Abyssinia, its habits are very similar to those of ordinary pigs. It 
lives amongst bushes or in ravines during the day, and comes out tO' feed in 
the evening, still keeping much tO' bush- jungle. The large males are usually 
solitary; the younger animals and females live in small herds, apparently not 
exceeding eight or ten in number. I never saw large "sounders," such as 
are so commonly met with in the case of the Indian hog. It feeds much on 
roots, which it digs up by means of its huge tusks. It also appears to dig 
large holes, in which it occasionally lies; these are perhaps intended for the 
young. Despite its formidable appearance, the Abyssinian wart-hog is a 
comparatively timid animal, far inferior in courage tO' the Indian wild hog. 
Several which I wounded showed nO' inclination tO' charge under circumstances 
in which an Indian pig would certainly have shown fight. The flesh is savory, 
but dry and hard, even in comparatively young animals. 

When brought tO' bay by dogs, wart-hogs make a determined stand, and 
inflict severe injuries on their assailants. If excited, they carry their long 
tails stuck straight upright. 

38s 



S8(> 



THE STORY OF THE WART-HOG. 



In Soiith-Eastern Africa — where they are known tO' the natives by the 
name of Inclhlovudawani — wart-hogs are foimd on the plains in Hght thorn- 
jungles ; and they are abundant in the districts around Mount Kilima-Njaro. 
In those regions they generally occupy the deserted burrow of an aard-vark, 
or other animal. They have a most curious mode of exit when they bolt — 
a dangerous one if you are not up to it. As they emerge from a hole, they 
turn a somersault on to the back of it, instead of coming straight out like 
an ordinary animal, and as that is just the spot where one w^ould naturally 




WART HOG OF SOUTH EASTERN AFRICA. 



stand, more than one man has had his legs ripped open before he learnt the 
w'isdom of experience. On more than one occasion I have seen a male wart- 
hog walk deliberately through a pack of large hounds without taking the 
slightest notice of them, so long as they refrained from biting. Did, however, 
one bolder than the rest, venture to come to close quarters, the wart-hog with 
a sudden jerk would either lay its assailant crippled on the ground, or send 
it howling away. 

The young are striped, as are the young of the wild boar. 




STORY OF THE RACCOON. 



The raccoon is about the size of a large fox, and an inhabitant of Canada 
and various parts of the United States. It derives its name, lotor, from the 
habit it is said to possess of washing its food before eating it. Its skin is 
very valuable, and is much sought after by American hunters, who pride 
themselves on their skill in shooting this active and wary animal. 

The food of the raccoon is principally small animals and insects. Oysters 
are also a very favorite article of its diet. It bites off the hinge of the oyster, 
and scrapes out the animal in fragments with its paws. Like a squirrel 
when eating a nut, the raccoon usually holds its food between its fore-paws 
pressed together, and sits upon its hind-quarters while it eats. Poultry are 
very favorite objects of its attack, and it is said to be as destructive in a farm- 
yard as any fox, for it only devours the heads of the murdered fowl. Like 
the fox, it prowls by night. 

When taken young it is easily tamed, but very frequently becomes 
blind soon after its capture. This effect is supposed to be produced by the 
sensitive state of its eyes, which are only intended to be used by night; but, 
as it is frequently awakened by daylight during its captivity, it suffers so 
much from the unwonted glare that its eyes gradually lose their sight. 

They delight to sport in the shallow water on the margins of pools and 
streams, where they capture the crayfish lurking beneath the stones, and the 
fresh-water mussels buried in the mud and sand. They also catch such fish 

387 



388 THE STORY OF THE RACCOOM. 

as happen to get stranded or detained in the small pools near the shore, 
although they are unable to dive in pursuit of their prey. They are, how- 
ever, good swimmers. Although first-rate climbers, and making their nests 
in a hollow high up in some large trees, raccoons cannot be considered by 
any means thoroughly arboreal animals. Thus they neither hunt their prey 
among the tree-tops, nor gather nuts and fruits from the branches, nor do 
they feed upon the young shoots and twigs. Trees form, however, their 
resting and their breeding-places, and likewise their refuge when pursued 
by human or other foes. With the falling shades of night they invariably 
descend to hunt their prey and search for food. 

The raccoon hibernates during the severest part of the winter, retiring to 
his nest rather early, and appearing again in Fel^ruary or March, according 
to the earliness or lateness of the season. Disliking to wade through deep 
snow he does not come out much till the alternate thawing and freezing of 
the surface, suggestive of coming spring, makes a hard crust upon which 
he can run with ease. He does not usually walk m.any miles during a single 
night, and consequently is soon tracked to the jree, in some hole of which 
he has retired for the day. It is unusual to find a raccoon alone, for they 
commonly live and travel in small companies, consisting of the several 
members of a single family. They do not return to the same nest every 
morning, but often make little excursions in various directions, being gone 
several days at a time, and taking refuge, about daylight, in any convenient 
arboreal shelter. Though preferring a hollow limb high up in some giant 
elm, ash, or basswood, they will put up with almost any kind of a hollow 
trunk. I have known them to spend the day in old stubs, in hollow logs, 
and even in the poor shelter afforded by the angle where a fa^lling tree had 
lodged in a crutch. 

In Central America and the more southern districts of North America, 
the raccoon remains active throughout the winter, as the climate would not 
necessitate any hibernation. In the Adirondacks the young the produced in 
the spring — generally- during the month of April ; and there are usually from 
four to six in a litter. They remain with their parent about a twelvemonth. 
The nest which, as already mentioned, is placed high up in a tree, has but 
little care bestowed upon its construction. 

It has long been known that this raccoon is in the habit of moistening 
its food with water before eating it; and it doubtless received its distinctive 
specific name from this habit, which has been of late years verified. 

The crab-eating raccoon is a nearly-allied South American species, dis- 




yVHITE-NOSED RACCOONS. (COATI ) 



^89 



390 



THE STORY OF THE RACCOON. 



tinguishecl by its superior dimensions and its much shorter fur. It is found 
typically from Panama to Colombia and Guiana; but the raccoons found 
further south, and extending through Brazil to Paraguay, are entitled to 
rank as a distinct species, on account of their darker feet. They are com- 
monly known as black-footed raccoons. 

The coatis, or long nosed raccoons, are easily recognized by their long 
snouts, which are naked at the tip and which the animal moves up and down 
like a piece of rubber. Its claws are longer and stouter than those of the 
common raccoon. The white-nose coati is found in Mexico and Central 
America; the second species, the red coati, is found in South America from 




COMMON RACCOON. 



Surinam to Paraguay. They usually go about in small troops of from ten 
to twenty. 

The raccoon is one of the most valuable of the fur-bearing animals of 
North America, and is consequently much persecuted. Raccoon, skins were 
formerly used as a recognized circulating medium in the States of the Mis- 
sissippi Valley, and, were usually valued at 25 cents apiece. 

The raccoon may be easily caught in steel traps; but it is essential that 
these should be set under water near the margins of swamps or streams. 
The more sporting method is, however, to hunt these animals at night with 
specially-trained <logs, which are usually a breed of fox-hounds. 




THE STORY OF THE COBEGO. 



While in the interior of Mindanao, one of the largest islands in the Phil- 
ippine group, I was once somewhat startled to see a large bird, as I then 
thought, fly over me. It lit on a tree near by and I stopped to study it. To 
my great surprise I saw an animal fully two feet long and weighing about 
twenty pounds seated on a limb of the tree. I shot it and found that it was 
a female cobego. It had two of its young clinging to its breast when it fell. 

An investigation showed me that the animal has a parachute formed by 
folds of skin, by means of which it can leap fifty or sixty yards. While not 
possessing the power of true flight, like a bat, its leaps exceed those of the 
flying squirrel. Its integument is so elastic that extended the cobego covers 
fully a square yard of area, and the long tail is of great service in sustaining 
its flight. 

The common cobego is found in Sumatra, Borneo, Java, the Malay 
Peninsula, Tenasserim, and Siam. It is sluggish in its motions, at least by 
day, going up a tree by short runs of a few feet, and then stopping a moment 
as if the action was difficult. It rests during the day clinging to the trunks 
of trees, where its olive or brown fur. mottled with irregular whitish spots 
and blotches, resembles closely the color of mottled bark, and nO' doubt 
helps to protect it. Once, in a bright twilight, I saw one of these animals 
run up a trunk in a rather open place, and then glide obliquely through the 
air to another tree, on which it alighted near its base, and iromediately began 

291 



392 



THE STORY OF THE COBEGO. 



to ascend. I paced the distance from the one tree to the other, and found 
it to be seventy yards; and the amount of descent I estimated at not more 
than thirty-five or forty feet, or less than one in five. This I think proves 
that the animal must have some power of guiding itself through the air, 
otherwise in so long a distance it would have little chance of alighting upon 
the trunk. The cobego feeds chiefly on leaves, and possesses a very volum- 
mous stomach. The hair is very small; and the animal possesses such a 
remarkable tenacity of life that it is exceedingly difficult to kill it by any 




THE COBEGO OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. 

ordinary means. The tail is prehensile, and is probably made use of as an 
additional support while feeding. The animal is said to have one or two 
young at a time, and my own observation confirms this statement, for I 
once shot a female, with a very small, bHnd, and naked little creature' cling- 
mg closely to its breast, which was quite bare and much wrinkled. On the 
l^ack, and extending over the limbs and membrane, the fur of these animals 
IS short but exquisitely soft, resembling in its texture that of the chinchilla. 




THE STORY OF THE GAZELLE. 



The gazelle is regarded as the embodiment of grace and beauty, and is 
celebrated in song and story. It is usually O'f a sandy color and has a white 
streak on the side of the face from the base of the horn nearly to the no'se, 
thus cutting off a dark triangular patch in the middle of the forehead, while 
the streak itself is bordered by a dark line. The horns, which are generally 
present in both sexes, are recurved and completely ringed throughout the 
greater part of their length. Most of the gazelles do not exceed thirty inches 
in height, although the mohr reaches thirty-six inches. There are about 
twenty-one living species. 

The gazelle so famous in Oriental poetry inhabits Arabia and Syria. Its 
eyes are very large, dark and lustrous, so that the Oriental poets love tO' com- 
pare the eyes of a woman to those of a gazelle, just as Homer constantly ap- 
plied the epithet ox-eyed to the more majestic goddesses, such as Juno- and 
Minerva. It is easily tamed when young, and is frequently seen domesticated 
in the court yards of houses in Syria. Its swiftness is so' great that even a 
greyhound cannot overtake it, and the hunters are forced to make use of 
hawks, which are trained to strike at the head of the gazelle, and thus con- 
fuse it and retard its speed, so as to permit the dogs to come up. The color 
of this pretty little animal is a dark yellowish brown, fading into white on 
the under parts. 

One of the mo'St imtwrtfiint plumbers of the gazelle faipily is the South 

393 



394 



THE STORY OF THE GAZELLE. 



African springbok. The springbok derives its name from its habit of sud- 
denly leaping in the air; and is remarkable both for the vast numbeis in 
which it formerly occurred, and for its periodical migrations, I was once a 
spectator of the remarkable scene produced by one of these migrations. For 
about two hours before dawn I had been lying awake in my wagon, listening 
to the grunting of the buck within two hundred yards of me; imagining that 




THE GOITRED GAZELLE. 



some large herd of springboks was feeding beside my camp, but, rising when 
it was light and looking about me, I beheld the ground tO' the northward of 
my camp actually covered with a dense living mass of sprinkboks, marching 
slowly and steadily along. They extended from an opening in a long range 
of hills on the west, through which they continued pouring like the flood of 
some great river; tO' a ridge about a mile to the north-east, over which they 



THE STORY OF THE GAZELLE. 



395 



disappeared — the breadth they covered might have been somewhere about half 
a mile. I stood upon the fore-chest of my wagon for nearly two' hours, lost in 
astonishment at the novel and wonderful scene before me, and had some 
difficulty in convincing myself that it was a reality which I beheld, and not 
the wild and exaggerated picture of a hunter's dream. 

The goa or Thibetan gazelle is distinguished by the white disc around the 
tail, the long winter-coat, short ears and tail, the greatly curved horns and the 
uniform color of the face. The height of the animal is twenty-four inches; 




A HERD OF GAZELLES 



and the largest recorded horns measure fifteen and three-quarter inches in 
length ; the number of rings varying from twenty to- thirty. This gazelle 
inhabits the Thibetan plateau at elevations of from thirteen thousand to- eight- 
een thousand feet, and goes in small parties of from two or three to- a dozen. 
It is less shy than other species. 

Another of the true gazelles is characterized by the white of the rump 
extending forward in an angle intO' the fawn-color of the haunclies; both 
sexes having horns, w^hich are frequently longer than in the other groups ; the 
animals themselves being also relatively large. 



396 THE STORY OF THE GAZELLE. ^. 

Its swiftness is such that it can but seldom be taken with dogs ; but it does 
not leap in the air like the dorcas. This gazelle keeps much tO' waste ground, 
especially where that is broken up by ravines, but it is seldom seen on alluvial 
plains, and it haunts cultivation less than the [Indian] antelope. I have fre- 
quently found it among scattered bushes or thin tree-jungle, and it may be met 
with on undulating ground even on the top of hills; it is commonly found 
umongst sand-hills, and is nowhere so abundant as in parts of the Indian 
desert. It lives on grass and the leaves of bushes, and, I believe, never drinks, 
for it is common in tracts where there is nO' water except from deep wells. 

A peculiar gazelle, known as the gerenuk, or Waller's gazelle, inhabits 
Eastern Africa, and is remarkable for the great length of its neck, which has 
been likened to a miniature giraffe. 

The gerenuk is found all over the Somali country in small families, never 
in large herds, and generally in scattered bush, ravines and rocky ground. I 
have never seen it in the cedar-forests, nor in the treeless plains. Gerenuk 
are not necessarily found near water; in fact, generally in stony ground with 
a sprinkling of tho'm-jungle. Its gait is peculiar. When first seen, a buck 
gerenuk will generally be standing. motionless, head well up. looking at the 
intruder, and trusting tO' its invisibility. Then the head dives under the bushes, 
and the animal goes off at a long, crouching trot, stopping now and again 
behind some bush tO' gaze. The trot is awkward-looking, and very like that 
of a camel; the gerenuk seldom gallops, and its pace is never very fast. In 
the whole shape of the head and neck, and in the slender lower jaw, there is 
a marked resemblance between the gerenuk and the dibatag'. It subsists more 
by broAvsing than by grazing, and it may not unfrequently be observed stand- 
ing up on its hind-legs, with outstretched neck, and its fore-feet resting 
against the trunk of a tree, in order to' pluck the foliage. 

The goitred gazelle is rather a heavy animal, found in Eastern Siberia, 
Chinese Mongolia and Western Thibet. It also inhabits Persia, and a fa- 
vorite sport of Persian noblemen is to hunt it with the chita, or trained riunting 
leopard. 

A beautiful species of gazelle is the Dorcas, found in Egypt and Barbary, 
where it lives in large troops ui»n the borders of the cultivated country, and 
also in the deserts. When pursued it flies tO' some distance, then stops to gaze 
a moment at the hunters, and again renews its flight. The flock, when 
attacked collectively, disperse in all directions, but soon unite, and when 
brought to bay defend themselves with courage and obstinacy, uniting in a 
plose circle, with th^ females and fawns in the genter, and presenting their 



THE STORY OF THE GAZELLE. 



;i9r 



horns at all points to their enemies; yet, notwithstanding- their courage, they 
are the common prey of the lion and panther, and are hunted with great per- 
severance by the Arabs and Bedouins of the desert. When taken young they 
are easily domesticated, and soon become familiar. This animal is frequently 
cut upoii the monuments O'f Egypt and Nubia. 

Referring again to the beautiful Arabian gazelle, or as it is properly called, 




RED-FRONTED GAZELLE. 



ariel gazelle, it may be said that it is still hunted by the Arabs for its flesh, 
which is excellent, as it was by the ancient Egyptians. 

On the eastern frontier of Syria are several places allotted tO' the" hunting 
of this animal, or rather for its entrapment or destruction. An open space on 
the plain, about one mile and a half square, is enclosed on three sides by a 
wall of loose stones too' high for the gazelle tO' leap over. Gaps are left in 
different parts of the wall, and at each gap a deep ditch is sunk on the outside. 



S08 THE STORY OF THE GAZELLE. 

The inclornre is situated near some rivulet or spring to which the gazelles 
resort in summer. When the sport is to begin, many peasants assemble and 
watch till they see a herd of gazelles advancing from a distance toward the 
inclosure, into which they drive them. The gazelles, frightened by the shouts 
of the people and the discharge of the fire-arms, endeavor to leap over the w^all, 
but can only effect this at the gaps, wdiere they fall into the ditch outside, and 
are easily taken, sometimes by hundreds. The chief of the herd always leaps 
first, and the others follow him one by one. The gazelles thus captured are 
immediately killed, and their flesh sold to the Arabs and neighboring Fellahs. 
'Of the skin a kind of parchment is made, and used to cover the small drum 
with which the Syrians accompany some musical instruments or the voice. 

Referring again to the trek of the Springboks : The migration is called 
a trek bokken. So great is the number of animals in these migrations that 
those which happen to get into the rear of the troop are lean and half-starved 
before the migration is concluded, from the advanced ranks cropping the 
scanty pastures almost bare, and thus leaving those behind nearly destitute 
of food; but when the journey is concluded, and the troop begins to retrace 
its steps northward, those which formed the van during the advance are 
necessarily in the rear returning, soon lose their plump condition, and are 
in their turn, subjected to want and starvation. During these migrations 
the herds are closely followed by lions, panthers, hyenas and wild dogs, 
which hang upon their flanks and destroy great numbers of them. There 
is perhaps no spectacle in nature more inspiring than a flock of these beauti- 
ful gazelles enlivening the dreary brown karroos of South Africa with their 
graceful motions; now leaping perpendicularly upward to the height of six 
or seven feet, displaying at the same time the snowy-white marks on their 
croups, and anon flying over the desert with the speed of a whirlwind. 




STORY OF THE CHAMELEON 



There is a popular belief that the chameleon lives entirely upon air. 

The reason for this belief was found in the facts that the chameleon is a 
very sluggish creature and goes so' long without eating that people who' had 
observed it were led tO' think, first, that it could not move fast enough tO' 
catch insects, which would naturally be its food, and secondly, never having 
seen it eat they imagined it never did. 

The chameleon does not live upon air alone, but principally upon flies 
and small insects, but nature has equipped it with a peculiar tongue especially 
adapted to catching its food. The chameleon's tongue is a hollow tube capable 
of being extended to a great length with lightning like rapidity. At the end 
is a fleshy knob which has a cup-like cavity in its outer surface, and this is 
always covered with a sticky secretion. When the chameleon has selected 
a fly for its prey, it rolls its strange-looking eyeballs, and then its tongue 
darts out to twice the length of its body and is redrawn like a flash with 
the fly on the end of it. It rarely misses its aim. 

The chameleon is a member of the lizard family, and is pleasing to the 
sight. 

It has long been famous for its power of changing color — a property, 
however, which has been greatly exaggerated, as I shall show. The usual 
color of the chameleon when in its wild state is green, from which it passes 
through the shades oi violet, blue and yellow, of which the green consists. 

399 



400 THE STORY OF THE CHAMELEON. 

In this country, however, it rarely retains the bright green hue, the color 
fading into yellowish gray. The cause of the difference of color in the two 
lacteal folds of the body is the manner in which the light acts upon the animal. 
The side turned toward the light is always of a darker color. This holds 
good with reference tO' the direct and diffused light of the sun and moon as 
well as tO' artificial light. 

Notwithstanding the strictly symmetrical construction of the chameleon 
as to its two halves, the eyes move independently of each other, and convey 
different impressions to their different centers of perception; the consequence 
is, that when the animal is agitated, its movements appear like those of twO' 
animals glued together. Each half wishes tO' move its own way, and there 
is no concordance of action. The chameleon, moreover, may be asleep on 
one side and awake on the other. When cautiously approaching my specimen 
at night with a candle, so' as not to awake the whole animal by the shaking 
of the room, the eye turned toward the flame would open and begin toi move, 
and the corresponding side tO' change color, whereas the other side would 
remain for several seconds longer in its torpid and changeable state, with its 
eye shut. 

It seems probable that the change of color may be directly owing tO' the 
greater or less rapidity of the circulation, which may turn the chameleon 
from green to yellow, just as in ourselves an emotion of the mind can tinge 
the cheek with scarlet, or leave it pallid and death-like. 

The common chameleon is sixteen to eighteen inches long, the tail being 
nearly as long as the body. 




CHAMELEONS* 



401 




THE STORY OF THE FOSSA. 



The fossa of Madagascar, which is the largest flesh-eating animal found 
in that island, is the species connecting the more typical members of the cat 
family. This peculiar animal differs, indeed, soi remarkably from all the 
other representatives of the tribe, that it has been considered by some that it 
ought to be referred to a separate family. 

The fossa is a nearly uniformly-colored animal, with short and thick pale 
brown fur; and it attains a total length O'f about five feet from the snout 
to the tip of the tail, the length of the tail being more than three-quarters that 
of the head and body. The curved claws are sharp and retractile ; and the feet, 
each of which is furnished wath five claws, are very similar to those of a cat, 
except that the whole sole oi the hind pair is naked, and applied tO' the ground 
in walking. 

It is a purely nocturnal creature, of a fierce disposition, but scarcely any- 
thing is yet known oi its habits. 

Tbe fossa is undoubtedly one of the most interesting beasts of prey, if not 
one O'f the most interesting oi animal creatures in general. Any scientist 
w^ho disputes the fact that intermediate forms, which play such an impor- 
tant part in natural history in its newest aspect, really exist, must keep silence 
when he beholds this animal. The fossa cannot be determined nor compre- 
hended in any other way but as an intermediate or transitional fornix — as a 

link connecting the real cats with kindred animals. These animals existed 

402 



THE STORY OF THE FOSSA. 



403 



in a less perfect state at an earlier period oif the earth's development, and 
are called stealthy cats, including the palm-civets, civets, genets and miin- 
gooses. Should the body of a large, reddish-brown palm-civet be imbued with 
the lively, sportive nature, the intense elasticity and supple mobility of a true 




THE FOSSA 



cat, this unique animal would present in itself the combination of these con- 
tradictory features. The feet, which are furnished with curved, sharp, and 
somewhat retractable claws, are very similar tO' those of a cat, except that 
the whole sole of the hind pair is knotted, and applied to the ground in walk- 



404 THE STORY OF THE FOSSA. 

ing. The picture, unfortunately, does not convey a correct idea of the dispcv- 
sitioti of the animal, the splendid, serpent-like, wavy motions of its body, 
which is of a light brown color tinged w^ith red and gray. The muscular 
structure, however, shows a powerful, compact build. The limbs, though 
small, are well knit. The ears are large and rounded, while the tail measures 
more than three-fourths of the length of the head and body. The fossa has 
a total of thirty-six teeth, of which the hinder ones, both in form and num;ber, 
closely resemble those of the cat. 

It is because the fossa is the largest of the flesh-eating animals of Mada- 
gascar that the lemurs flourish in that island. The fossa undoubtedly kills 
many of the smaller lemurs, but owing to the agility of those monkey-like 
little animals, it is difficult for even such an active, agile animal as the fossa 
to catch them — hence many escape because the fossa turns its attention to 
the pursuit of still smaller and easier prey. 



i 




THE STORY OF THE WALRUS 



Thousands of walrus are killed every year in the Pacific ocean, but at the 
present rate hunting them must soon cease as the animal is fast being killed 
off and will probably be extinct in a decade or two. The animal is desired 
because of its valuable oil and tusks, but its flesh and hide are also put to use. 

The walrus is an animal of enormous size. It sometimes measures nearly 
eighteen feet in length, and ten or twelve feet in circumference. In the 
upper jaw there are two long tusks, which bend downward. The head is 
small, the neck short, and body round. The eyes are very small, and instead 
of external ears there are only two small circular orifices. 

The figure of the walrus is more noticeable for strength than grace, 
though in its outline there is a something suggestive of a bulky horse — and 
hence our seamen sometimes call it the seahorse. Like the whale family, 
its body is wrapped round with a layer of oily fat; while its skin, an inch thick, 
is covered with close hair. 

In localities where they have long been the object of man's pursuit they 
have grown vengeful and wary; in less frequented regions they lie on the 
ice in unsuspecting security, and do not suffer the approach of the hunters 
to disturb them. They do not willingly attack man; but when forced to 
fight, conduct themselves with wonderful coolness and courage — dash in 
serried array against the boats, and with their massive tusks endeavor to 

405 



406 THE STORY OF THE WALRUS. 

capsize them. They display a truly heroic devotion to their young, and will 
perish in their defense. 

The walrus is partial, like some higher animals, to the sound of its own 
voice, and will recline on the ice for hours listening to its continuous bellow. 

That he is a dangerous animal to attack may be seen from the follow- 
ing anecdote:' — A young and courageous, but imprudent Eskimo, plunged 
his spear or harpoon into a brown walrus; the beast's savage aspect alarmed 
him when too late, and before using his lance he called for help. Vainly 
the other men advised him to retreat. ''It is a brown walrus!" they 
exclaimed. "Auvokkaiok! Hold back!" When it was seen that the young 
man either would not or could not follow their advice, his only brother 
sprang forward and hurled the second harpoon. Almost immediately the 
furious creature turned upon him, and ripped him up, just as a wild boar 
might have done. 

This ungainly creature, though so unsightly in features, is in reality quiet 
and inoffensive, unless attacked or roused in love-time, when woe betide 
those who measure his strength, especially if he reach his native watery 
element. Some travelers repre'sent him as distrustful, ferocious and sus- 
picious. They are very seldom met with singly, but often found in herds 
from a dozen to several hundreds. They crowd up from the water on to 
the rocks or ice one after the other, grunting and bellowing. The first 
arrival is no sooner composed in sleeping trim, than a second comes prod- 
ding and poking with its blunt tusks, forcing room for itself, while the first- 
is urged farther from the water; the second in turn is similarly treated by 
the third; and so on, until numbers will lie packed close, heads and tails 
resting against and on each other, in the most convenient and friendly man- 
ner possible. There they sleep and snore to their hearts' content, but 
nevertheless, keep sentinels on guard in a singular fashion. Some one would 
seem to disturb another; then this fellow would raise his head listlessly, give 
a grunt and a poke to his nearest companion, who would rouse up a few- 
minutes, also grunt, and pass the watchword to his neighbor, and so on 
through the herd, this disturbance always keeping some few on the alert. 

When surprised on the ice the females first provide for the safety of their 
young ones by flinging them into the sea and conveying them to a secure 
distance; they then return with great rage to the place where they were 
attacked for the purpose of revenging any injury they may have received. 
They will sometimes attempt to fasten their teeth on the boats in order to 
sink them, or will rise under them in great numbers w^ith the intention of 



THE STORY OF THE WALRUS. 



40r 



oversetting them; at the same time exhibiting all the marks of rage, roaring 
in a dreadful manner and gnashing their teeth with great violence. 

They are strongly attached to each other, and will make every effort in 
their power, even to death, to liberate a harpooned companion. A wounded 
walrus has been known to sink beneath the surface of the ocean, rise sud- 
denly again, and bring up with it multitudes of others, who have united in 
an attack on the boat from whence the insult came. 

There is still much uncertainty as to the weight which these animals will 




HEAD OF WALRUS, WITH ESQUIMEAU METHOD OF HUNTING. 



attain. Trustworthy writers set down the weight of full-grown males at 
from 2,500 to 3,000 pounds, but as I have seen several that weighed over 
4,000 pounds, I do not accept those figures. In regard to the size of the 
tusks of the Atlantic walrus, a fine pair once in my possession had a total 
length of twenty-four inches, of which probably about eighteen inches would 
have protruded from the jaw during life; the weight of each of these being- 
four pounds. Others have, however, been obtained with a total length of 
thirty-one inches, and a weight of upwards of eight pounds apiece; but such 



408 THE STORY OF THE WALRUS. 

are, now at least, extremely rare. The tusks of females seldom exceed 
twenty inches in length. In the Pacific walrus the tusks are longer and 
thicker, and more convergent. 

Up to the year 1890 they were still found in innumerable herds where 
the waters of the Arctic Sea join with those of Behring Strait, and also in 
Behring Sea; but since that date their diminution has been rapid. Between 
the years 1890 and 1900 close on 2,000,000 gallons of walrus-oil, and 400,000 
pounds weight of ivory were obtained from these regions; thus representing 
the destruction of not far short of 100,000 animals. 

Our party once captured a young walrus and, after a few days, it felt 
at home and became a favorite among the crew. It quickly formed an 
acquaintance with an Eskimo dog which was on board. They ate out of 
the same dish, although "Jamie," the walrus, took good care always to get 
the larger share. Whenever the dog went to his barrel to sleep, "Jamie" 
bundled right on top of him, and as doggie rebelled against such a bed- 
fellow, it usually ended in "Jamie" having it all to himself. He seemed to 
know his name well, for even if fast asleep, the instant one cried out "Jamie!" 
he would rouse up, gaze about, and grunt in reply. When alone on deck he 
appeared a picture of misery, endeavoring to make his way down "'tween 
deck" after the men. If the cabin door were open he at once waddled in, 
laid himself before the stove and went to sleep; but if the cabin were empty 
he would not remain a moment. After being on board four months, he fell 
ill and died. The expression of this creature's countenance during his sick' 
ness was for sympathy from any one who came near. He took his medicine 
to the last, and when his dead body was thrown into the ocean, regret was 
felt by all on board. Even the dog mourned the loss of his strange com- 
panion. 

The walrus is found in vast herds, which frequent the coasts of the Arctic 
and Antarctic regions, and which congregate in such numbers that their 
united roarings have often given timely warning to the fog-bewildered 
sailors, and acquainted them with the near proximity of shore. These herds 
present a curious sight, as the huge, clumsy animals are ever in movement, 
rolling and tumbling over each other in a strange fashion, and constantly 
uttering their hoarse bellowings. 

The movements of the walrus when on land are of a very clumsy char- 
acter, as might be supposed from the huge, unwieldly body of the animal, 
and the evident insufficiency of the limbs to urge the weighty body forward 
with any speed. When this creature is hurried or alarmed, it contrives to 



THE STORY OF THE WALRUS. 



409 



get over the ground at a pace that, although not very rapid, is yet wonder- 
fully so when the size of the animal is taken into account. 

The movement is a mixture of jerks and leaps, and the walrus is further 
aided in its progress by the tusks. Should it be attacked, and its retreat 
cut ofif, the walrus advances fiercely upon its enemy, striking from side to 
side with its long tusks, and endeavoring to force a passage into the sea. If 
it should be successful in its attempt, it hurries to the water's edge, lowers 
its head, and rolls unceremoniously into the sea, where it is in comparative 
safety. 








WALRUSES AND THEIR HABITS. 



The walrus is killed when on land or ice either by means of long lances, 
or with rifles; while when at sea it is chased with special boats and har- 
pooned. Enormous numbers of these animals were killed in the Magdalen 
Islands, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in the sixteenth and seventeenth cen- 
turies; but one instance of an enormous destruction of these animals may 
be referred to in greater detail. This occurred in the summer of 1882, on 
Thousand Island, lying off the southwest coast of Spitzbergen. Here two 
small sloops, sailing in company, approached the island, and soon discov- 



410 THE STORY OF THE WALRUS. 

ered a herd of walruses, numbering, as they calculated, from three to four 
thousand, reposing upon it. Four boats' crews, or sixteen men, proceeded 
to the attack with spears. One great mass of walruses lay in a small sandy 
bay, with rocks inclosing it on each side, and on a little mossy flat above the 
bay, but to which the bay formed the only convenient access for such 
unwieldy animals. A great many hundreds lay on other parts of the island 
at a little distance. The boats landed a little way ofif, so as not to frighten 
them, and the sixteen men, creeping along shore, got between the sea and 
the bay, full of walruses before mentioned, and immediately commenced 
stabbing the animals next them. The walrus, although so active and fierce 
in water, is very unwieldy and helpless on shore, and those in front soon 
succumbed to the lances of their assailants; the passage to the shore soon 
got so blocked up with the dead and dying that the unfortunate wretches 
could not pass over, and were in a manner barricaded by a wall of carcases. 
The slaughter went on until the men were drenched with blood and thor- 
oughly exhausted, while their lances became so blunt as to be useless. After 
returning to the ship to refresh themselves and grind their lances, the work 
of destruction was, however, resumed, and did not cease until upwards of 
nine hundred animals had been slain. Even then, however, so sluggish and 
lethargic were the walruses, that several hundreds were still lying on 
adjacent parts of the island. When I visited the spot six years later the 
carcases were still lying as they fell, in some instances two or three feet deep, 
and the stench from them was perceptible for miles out at sea. The worst 
feature of this great slaughter was, indeed, the circumstance that the perpe- 
trators, owing to the size of their vessels, were only able to carry away a 
small proportion of their victims. 




THE STORY OF THE MOLE. 



One morning, after a rain, I traced the fresh passageway of a mole for 
one hnndred yards. The Httle animal had made this gallery in one night. 

I was impressed with the enormous amount of work such a small animal 
could perform, and I made some figures in comparison with the labor of a 
man. My figures showed, that in proportion to size, a man would have to 
dig in a single night a tunnel seven miles long and of suf^cient size to 
easily admit his body in order to perform equivalent work to this mole. I 
think, therefore, that I am right in the conclusion that the mole is the most 
itidefatigable worker of the burrowing animals to be found in the United 
States. 

^Esop in his fables makes frequent reference to the mole, but he was not 
a close student of its habits, for he maligned the little creature by saying it 
had no eyes and that it had been condemned to spend its life under ground. 
The mole does live underground, but does so from choice, and so 
far from being a miserable animal, it seems to enjoy its life quite as much 
as any other creature. It is beautifully fitted for the station which it fills, 
and would be unhappy if removed from its accustomed damp and darkness 



into warmth and light. 



411 



412 THE STORY OF THE MOLE. 

The eyes of the mole are very small, in order to prevent them from 
being injured by the earth through which the animal makes its way; indeed 
larger eyes would be useless underground. When, however, the mole 
requires to use its eyes, it can bring them forward from the mass of fur 
which conceals and protects them when not in use. The acute ears and 
delicate sense of smell in the meantime supply the place of eyes. Its fur 
is very fine, soft, capable of turning in any direction, and will not retain 
a particle of mold. 

But the most extraordinary part of the mole is the paw or hand with 
which it digs. The two fore-paws are composed of five fingers, armed with 
sharp, strong nails, in order to scrape up the earth; and to prevent the 
accumulated mold from impeding the mole's progress, the hands are turned 
outwardly, so as to throw the earth out of its way. 

Although each mole has its own hunting ground, yet there are mostly 
high roads which connect the different hunting grounds with each other, 
and which are used by many individuals in common, the only precaution 
taken being, that if two moles should happen to meet, the weaker immedi- 
ately retreats into one of the numerous side galleries which open from the 
high road, and permits its aristocratical neighbor to pass. 

The common web-footed mole doubtless received its name on account 
of its webbed hind-feet, which led to the very natural inference that it was 
a swimming animal. But this is a complete misnomer, for not only is this 
mole not known voluntarily to swim, but in the selection of its haunts 
it shows no preference for the vicinity of water, but manifests rather a 
contrary tendency. Its home is underground, and its entire life is spent 
beneath the surface. The nest of this mole is commonly half a foot or 
more below the surface, and from it several passages lead away in the direc- 
tion of its favorite foraging-grounds. These primary passages gradually 
approach the surface, and finally become continuous with, or open into, an 
ever-increasing multitude of tortuous galleries, which wind about in every 
direction, and sometimes come so near the surface as barely to escape open- 
ing upon it, while at other times they are several inches deep. Along thff 
most superficial of these horizontal burrows the earth is actually thrown 
up in the form of long ridges, by which the animal's progress can be traced. 
The distance that they can thus travel in a given time is almost incredible. 

The dwelling place is usually placed near a hillock or betw^een trees 
and consists of a central chamber with passages conducting to two circular 
galleries placed one above another. The higher of these two galleries has 



THE STORY OF THE MO LB. 



41^ 



a smaller diameter than the lower one. From the larger lower gallery there 
are given off several diverging runs, one of which is larger than either 
of the others, and is known as the main run, being the one which alone 
leads to the burrows driven in various directions for the purpose of procur- 
ing food. These burrows, or runs, except when so close to the surface as to 
allow of the earth being raised directly upwards in the form of a ridge 
showing their course, are marked at intervals by the well-known "mole- 
hills," which are mounds of loose earth pushed up from below, and not 
containing any internal chamber or passages. 

Since the voracity of the mole is proverbial, and its food consists exclu- 




^M''^^' WMmmmwMOiiaaiKKHtmj ))iuii 



.iiw^/i 




THE MOLE AND ITS BURROW. 



sively of earth-worms, insects, and their larvae, its visits ought to be wel- 
comed alike by the farmer and the gardener. As a matter of fact, how- 
ever, the mole has an awkward habit of driving its tunnels below the drilled 
rows of young farm and garden crops, by which not only are the roots of 
the plants disturbed, but the whole row may be dried up. Moreover, it 
appears pretty certain that field moles will take advantage of runs driven 
in such localities as convenient points from which to make inroads on the 
sprouting seeds or the roots of the young plants. Then, again, in addition 
to the unsightliness of a host of mole-hills in a garden, such elevations are 



414 THE STORY OF THE MOLE. 

inconvenient in a field of standing grass, as they impede the process of 
mowing. From these and other circumstances, farmers and gardeners gen- 
erally unite in a war of extermination against the mole, although there can 
be no doubt but that in many respects its visits are a distinct advantage to 
its destroyers. 

The golden or Cape moles are so different from all others of this group 
th-at they are referred to a distinct family. They are entirely confined to 
South Africa, where they are represented by about seven species, and are 
commonly termed moles by the colonists. 

In appearance these animals have some reseml)lance to the moles, but 
they have shorter and thicker bodies, with a deeper and blunter snout. The 
whole form is, however, admirably adapted for tunneling through the 
ground; since the eyes are totally covered beneath the hairy skin, and the 
minute ears are deeply buried in the fur. While the hind-feet retain a nor- 
mal form, the fore-feet have been specially modified for the purpose of 
digging, having only four toes, of which the two central ones are fur- 
nished with enormous triangular claws of great power. The gdlden moles 
derive both their popular and scientific names from the brilliant metallic 
luster of the fur, which shows various tints of green, violet, or golden bronze; 
the brilliancy of these metallic hues being much intensified when the skin is 
immersed in spirit. 

The runs are made so near the surface of the grouud that the earth 
is raised above the tunnel, which can accordingly be followed with ease 
in all directions. When one of the moles is seen to be at work, owing 
to the movements of the soil, it can readily be thrown up on to the surface 
by the aid of a stick or spade. The food of the golden moles consists mainly 
of earth-worms. 




STORY OF THE PANGOLIN. 



In Africa, soiith O'f the Sahara desert and in some parts of India, I have 
often come across an animal which always made me think of a huge pine cone 
supplied with a head and legs. This animal is known as the pangolin, which 
feeds upon ants, although belonging tO' a different family from the true ant- 
eaters. The whole upper surface of the body, the sides and the tail are covered 
with large overlapping horny scales. The limbs are short, with five toes. Its 
long worm-like tongue is capable of being extended a great distance from its 
mouth. 

The largest pangolins reach a length of six feet. They are burrowing 
animals, and are only abroad at night. They can roll themselves in a ball like 
the other ant-eaters, and when they are thus rolled up their muscular strength 
is something enormous. 

Asia is inhabited by three species O'f the family, namely, the Indian pango- 
lin, confined tO' India and Ceylon; the Chinese pangolin, ranging from Nipal 
and Assam to China ; and the Malayan pangolin, inhabiting the regions tO' the 
westward of the Bay of Bengal as far as Celebes, and also occurring in North- 
Eastern India. 

415 



41G 



THE STORY OF THE FANGOLIM. 



The habits of all the three kinds are similar, although the Malayan species 
is probably less O'f a burrower than the others. The Indian pangolin dwells 
either among the crevices and clefts of rocks, or in burrows of its own con- 
struction; such burrows extending to a depth of from eight to twelve feet 
below the surface, and ending in a large chamber, which may be as much as 
six feet in diameter. Here a pair of these animals take up their abode, and in 
the winter or early spring give birth to their young. The young, which are 
one or two in number, are covered with soft scales at birth, which harden on 
the second day, but it does not appear to be ascertained whether they are born 
blind. When inhabited, the entrance to the burrow is stopped with earth; 
and it is rarely that its occupants are seen abroad after sunrise. The food 




THE PANGOLIN. 



consists chiefly of termites ; the pangolin tearing open the nests of these insects 
with its powerful front claws, and thrusting its long glutinous tongue into 
their runs. The tongue is rapidly withdrawn with a swarm of the white ants 
clinging to it. In captivity pangolins will readily eat finely-chopped raw meat, 
hard-boiled eggs, and rice. Their stomachs have a somewhat gizzard-like 
structure; and frequently contain a few small pebbles, probably introduced 
to aid in triturating the food. In captivity pangolins drink freely by rapidly 
extending and withdrawing the tongue. I doubt whether this habit is natural 
to them, as they are often found in places where there is no water. When 
irritated, pangolins will give vent to a hissing sound, but at other times they 
are silent. 




STORY OF THE OPOSSUM. 



A favorite sport in the southern part of the United States is " 'possum 
hunting," and is particularly popular with the colored population. 

The time tO' hunt opossums is a bright moonlight night, and the best 
locality, a marsh or swamp where persimmon trees grow. The hunter will 
need only a good dog. As soon as the opossum, finds out that a dog is on 
its trail it takes tO' the trees, and usually it is but a short time after striking a 
trail until the 'possum is "treed." Then it can be easily secured by taking 
hold of its tail, which is prehensile, and which the animal wraps aro'und any 
object that touches it. 

The flesh of the opossum is coarse and fat, but it is esteemed a great 
delicacy by the negroes. 

There are about twenty-four varieties of the opossum, but only one of 
them is found in the northern half of America, all the others being confined 
to the southern half. 

All the opossums, with the exception of the water-opossum, inhabit trees. 
They spend the day concealed among the foliage and are active through- 
out the night. The opossums take the place in America of the insect eating 

417 



418 THE STORY OF THE OPOSSUM. 

animals of the Old World. They are naturally forest-loving animals; but 
a few are found on the pampas of Argentina, where they have adapted them- 
selves to a ground life. In those species in which the pouch is poorly developed 
or wanting, the young are carried upon the back of their female parent, where 
they maintain their position by curling their tails round that of their mother, 
which is bent forward for that purpose. 

On first catching sight of the opossum, you would think it stupid; but a 
very short observation convinces you that it is as full of tricks as the most 
cunning of foxes. One of its favorite devices, when it is surprised by the 
hunter, and finds escape impossible, is tO' fall tO' the ground, apparently life- 
less, as if mortally wounded by its pursuer's gun. If you think it really dead, 
and turn aside your gaze, or throw it carelessly into your game-bag, it watches 
for a favorable opportunity, and is off and away when, of course, you are least 
prepared. In this stratagem has originated the popular phrase of "playing 
'possum." Touch its head ever so lightly — so' lightly that the touch would 
not kill a fly — and it immediately stretches out its limbs as stiff as a corpse ; 
in a word it "plays 'possum." In this situation you may torture it, cut its 
skin, almost flay it, and it will not move a single muscle. Its eyes grow 
dull and glazed as if covered with a film, for it has nO' eyelids to protect its 
organs of sight. It will allow you even to throw it to your dogs, so complete 
is its acting, and so^ consummate its power of deception; but forget it only 
for a moment, and it opens its dull, glazed eyes, seizes its opportunity, and 
turns tail in the most rapid manner. 

In size the opossum ecjuals a small dog, measuring about three and a quarter 
feet in total length ; the head and body measuring twenty-four inches, and 
the tail sixteen. Its fur is of a grayish-white color, slightly shaded with 
yellow, and varied here and there by long white hairs with brownish tips. On 
the limbs these hairs are so numerous that the whole fur assumes a brown hue. 
It feeds upon young rabbits, mice, rats, reptiles of various kinds, insects, 
eggs, and young birds; and occasionally it makes a descent upon the poultry- 
yard, and regales itself with fowl or chicken. In these depredations it displays 
an astonishing amount of cunning and perseverance. 

In Merian's opossum there is no' true pouch, and the place of that curious 
structure is only indicated by a fold of skin, so that during the infancy of its 
young the mother is obliged tO' have recourse to that singular custom, which 
has gained for it the title of "dorsigerus," or back-bearing. 

At a very early age the young opossums are shifted to the back of their 
mother, where they cling tightly to- her fur with their little hand-like feet, and 



THE STORY OF THE OPOSSUM. 



419 



further secure themselves by twining their own tails round that of the parent. 

Many other species of opossums are in the habit of carrying their young 
upon their backs, even though they may be furnished with a well-developed 
pouch, but in the pouchless opossums the young are placed upon the back at a 
very early age, and are retained there for a considerable period. 

The fore feet are armed with strong and sharp claws, which can find their 
way intO' every little crevice in the bark, or make one for themselves if neces- 








MERIAN S OPOSSUM. 



sary, and so obtain a firm foothold even upon an upright tree-trunk. The tail 
is wonderfully prehensile, and is so strong that the opossum can curl it tightly 
round a branch and hang suspended by its aid alone, even when its young ones 
dre clinging to its body, and so adding largely to its weight. When plucking 
fruit from a tree, the opossum may often be seen thus suspended from the 
bough above the clusters which it is attacking, so that the fore paws are left 
free to gather the fruit and to carry it to the mouth. 



4:>0 THE STORY OF THE OPOSSUM. 

The philander and the woolly opossum have a brown streak running down 
the middle of the face. 

The murine opossum which ranges from Central Mexico to Brazil is no 
larger than a common mouse, and wears a coat of soft red fur. It lives entirely 
upon hisects. 

The water-opossum or yapock differs from all other members of the family 
in having the hind-toes weblied, and the presence of a large growth on the 
cuter side of each fore-foot, giving the appearance of a sixth claw. This 
animal ranges from Guatemala to Brazil, and is distinguished by its peculiar 
color and love of water. The fur is short and close, and the long tail naked and 
scaly for the greater part of its length. The head and body measure about 
fourteen inches in length, and the tail about fifteen and a half inches. The 
ground-color of the fur is light gray,, upon which there is a blackish brown 
stripe running down the middle of the back, and expanding into large blotches 
on the shoulders, the middle of the back, the loins, and rump. The face has 
also blackish markings, with an imperfect whitish crescent above the eyes; 
while there is a certain amount of dark tint on the outer surfaces of the limbs, 
the under-parts being pure white. The female possesses a complete pouch. 
In habits the yapock closely resembles an otter, tO' which group of animals it 
was, indeed, referred by the earlier naturalists. Its food consists of small fish 
and other water animals. 




STORY OF THE CAFFRE CAT. 



With the caffre, or, as it is frequently termed, the Egyptian cat, we have a 
species which is regarded as the parent stock from which the domestic cat 
has sprung. 

The cafifre cat is ahout the size of a large domestic cat, and is generally 
of a yellowish color, darker on the back, and paler on the under-parts. The 
body is marked with faint pale stripes, which assume, however, on the limbs 
the form oi distinct dark horizontal bands; and the tail, which is relatively 
long, is also' more or less distinctly ringed towards its tip, where it is com- 
pletely black. The sides of the face are marked by twO' horizontal streaks. 

The caffre cat is found throughout Africa, from the Cape of Algiers and 
Egypt, and also extending intO' Southwestern Asia in Syria and Arabia. In 
past times it also ranged into Southeastern Europe. At the period when the 
cafifre cat lived in Gibraltar, Spain was doubtless connected by land with 
Africa. These cats were held sacred by the ancient Egyptians, and enor- 
mous numbers of their bodies were embalmed and preserved in tombs and 
pits. 

Darwin considered that the origin of the domestic cat could not be deter- 
mined with certainty; and concluded by remarking that whether domestic 
cats have descended from several distinct species, or have only been modifiecj 
|;v occasional crosses, their fertility, so far as is knoAyilj is uniinpiiired, 

m 



422 



THE STORY OF THE CAP ERE CAT. 



That the ancient Egyptians had succeeded in taming thoroughly the cats 
of which the mummified bodies are found in large numbers is perfectly well 
ascertained. This is indeed demonstrated by a painting in the British Museum, 
representing a fowling scene. It appears to have been the custom for the 
fowler to enter upon such expeditions accompanied by some of the female 
m.embers of his family. Embarking on board a boat, with a few decoy-birds 
and a trained cat, they proceeded to such parts of the river as were fringed 
with dense masses of the tall papyrus-reed. Waterfowl of various species 




THE CAFFRE CAT, WORSHIPED BY EGYPTIANS. 



swarmed in these rushy covers ; and, by the number of nests with eggs and 
young usually represented, we are doubtless to infer that the possession of this 
sort of stock was no less desired than that of the birds themselves. The cat, 
strange as it appears, was certainly taught to seize upon the birds. It is 
probable also that the repugnance of this animal to wet her feet having been 
overcome by traming, she was accustomed to fetch such birds as fell into the 
water. It is interesting to find the cat domesticated at so early a period, 




THE STORY OF THE SHREW. 



The shrew family has so many varieties that I will have to confine myself 
tO' some of the most interesting and important ones. These elegant little 
creatures are often mistaken for mice, in fact, they are commonly called shrew 
mice, although they belong to the family of insect-eating animals, and resemble 
a mole more than they do a mouse. 

With the exception of a few varieties which have taken to a life in the 
water, the shrews live on the land and are active only at night. They are all 
covered with fur, generally remarkable for its softness ; the head is long, with 
a sharply pointed snout projecting far in advance of the tip of the lower jaw ; 
their eyes are extremely small and bead-like. They are tO' be met with 
throughout the whole oi the temperate and tropical regions of Europe, Asia, 
Africa and North America, as well as on many of the adjacent islands. From 
their obscure and retiring habits the shrews are difficult of observation ; their 
long and pointed snout, their elastic form, and short and velvety coat enable 
them tO' pass through the closest herbage, or beneath the carpets of dry leaves 
in the coppice and woodland, in which places, as well as in the open fields, 
whether cultivated or in pasture, they seek their food. But they are not con- 
fined tO' such places, however, as with their relatives, the water shrevv's, they 
are often met with in marshy and fen districts. On the other hand, one of 
the Indian shrews constantly frequents dwelling-houses. 

The common shrews are known by their red teeth, the large size of their 

423 



484 THE STORY OF THE SHREW. 

cars, and their long tails. The red-toothed shrews are quite unknown in 
Africa south of the Sahara, and they are only represented in India and the rest 
of the OrientrJ region by a single variety. 

The common shrew, found abundantly in the British Islands^ measures 
just short of three inches in length, exclusive of the tail, and is usually of a 
reddish mouse-color, paler beneath, with the tail rather shorter than the body. 
There is, however, considerable individual variation in color, specimens being 
sometimes found banded with white. Its food is insects, worms, snails and 
slugs. 

Shrews are so given tO' fighting that twO' are rarely seen together except 
when in a fight, and if twO' or more are confined together, the strongest will 
soon kill the others. 

The strong scent of the shrew serves tO' protect it against many foes, but 
it is not strong enough to disgust the owl, which bird kills and devours 
shrews with great relish. A cat will kill a shrew but will not eat it. 

The varieties of shrews found in the United States are among the smallest 
members of the family. They spend less time underg'-ound, but when they 
move about on the' surface they always seek the cover of fallen leaves and 
twigs. 

The naturalist knows that howe\'er cautiously he may move his footsteps 
put to flight many forms of life that will reappear as soon as quiet is restored ; 
therefore he often waits and watches and stops tO' listen and observe. While 
thus occupied, it sometimes happens that a slight rustling reaches his ears. 
There is no wind, but his eyes rest upon a fallen leaf that seems to- move. 
Presently another stirs, and perhaps a third turns cooipletely over. Then 
something like the shadow of an embryo mouse appears and vanishes before 
the eye can catch its perfect image. Anon the restless phantom flits across 
an open space, leaving no trace behind. But a charge of fine shot dropped with 
quick aim upon the next leaf that moves will usually solve the mystery. The 
author of the perplexing commotion is found to be a curious sharp-nosed 
creature, nO' bigger than one's little finger, and weighing hardly more than 
half a drachm. Its ceaseless activity, and the rapidity with which it darts 
fi'om place to- place, are truly astonishing, and rarely permit the observer a 
correct impression of its form. Whenever a tree or a large limb falls to- the 
ground these shrews soon find it, examining every part w'ith great care, and 
if a knot-hole or crevice is detected, leading tO' a cavity w'ithin, they are 
pretty sure to enter, carry in materials for a nest, and take formal possession. 
|Sot only are these agile and restless little shrews voracious and almost insati- 




WATiP SHBgWg, 



425 



i26 THE STORY OF THE SHREW. 

able, consuming tremendous quantities of raw meat and insects with great 
eagerness, but they are veritable cannibals withal, and will even slay and 
devour their own kind. 

The marsh-shrew from the Rocky Mountains, together with the swimming 
shrew from one of the Aleutian Islands, differ from the other members in hav- 
ing their feet provided with fringes of long hair. 

Another variety of the red-toothed family is the short-tailed shrew found 
in the Adirondack Mountains. 

The water-shrew, although unknown in Ireland, is found all over England 
and the south of Scotland. It likewise occurs over a large area of continental 
Europe, from whence it extends eastwards into Asia as far as the Atlas range. 
In the water these graceful little creatures are as much at home as water-voles 
or beavers ; and in clear streams they may be observed during the day diving 
or running along the bottom, and turning over the pebbles with their sharp 
noses in search of fresh-water shrimps, which appear to constitute their favor- 
ite food. In addition, the water-shrew devours many kinds of water insects or 
their larvae, while it is also probable that it likewise preys on the spawn or fry 
of minnows and other small fish. There are, moreover, several instances on 
record where water-shrews have been found feeding on the flesh of larger 
animals, which they have found dead. The burrows of the water-shrew are 
made along the banks of ponds and streams. 

The largest of the shrews is plentiful in India and is known as the 
musk-shrew, of which there are two' varieties, brown and gray. The brown 
musk-shrew is found as a rule in woods (althoiigh it will occasionally enter 
buildings), the gray musk-shrew generally haunts human habitations. The 
gray musk-shrew is a common visitor tO' Indian houses. During the day it 
lies concealed in holes and drains, issuing forth at night tO' hunt over the floors 
of rooms for cockroaches and other insects ; while thus engaged it utters from 
time to time a short, sharp squeak. In respect of its insect-eating habits, this 
musk-shrew is a benefactor to mankind ; but these benefits are accompanied by 
the drawback that various articles may be so impregnated with the musky 
secretion of the animal as tO' become utterly useless. There has, however, been 
rraich exaggeration as tO' the penetrating power of this scent, the well-known 
but absurd story that wine or beer becomes impregnated with a musky flavor 
from the circumstance of one of these shrews having run over the outside 
pf the bottle containing siigh liquor, Ijeing' a case in point, 




THE STORY OF THE TENREC. 



There lives in Madagascar an insect-eating animal which has many (;f 
the characteristics of the hedgehog. The name tenrec is given the group, 
which comprises several species. They are defended with spines, and can 
roll themselves into a ball as the hedgehog does. I have watched the creature 
defend itself against the attack of a dog and do it so successfully that the 
dog retired howling with pain. 

These animals are a great pest to the agriculturists o.f Madagascar, owing 
to the damage they inflict on the rice crops by burrowing in the earth beneath 
the young plants in search of worms and insects. 

They pass one-half of the year is a state of torpidity. About May or June 

they dig themselves holes, in which they sleep until December, with their 

heads comfortably tucked away between the hind legs. Their burrows are 

generally betrayed by the presence of a small heap of earth or moss thrown 

up at the entrance. The animals at this time are very fat, and are regarded 

as great delicacies by the natives of Madagascar. The inhabitants hunt the 

tenrecs with dogs, trained expressly for the purpose. They live chiefly in 

the mountains, in places co'vered with moeses, ferns and bushes. Their food 

consists principally of earthworms, which they rout out by means of their 

feet and pointed snouts, using the latter after the fashion of a pig. Insects 

also' form a part of their diet ; and like the hedgehogs, the_y feed upon certain 

427 



428 



THE STORY OF THE TENREC. 



In capti\ity they will eat raw meat, and are also said to be 
They sleep nearly all the day, and come forth in full activity 



fruits and roots, 
fond of bananas, 
only at night. 

The true tenrecs have a body much longer than the hedge-hogs, and 
tlieir bristles are less rigid, the spines being covered with soft, silky hair. 
The head is shaped like that of the pouched animals. It is found not only 




THE TENREC AND ITS HABITS. 



in Madagascar, but also in the islands of Bourbon and Maurice, but it was 
probably carried to the latter island by the colonists. It is tailless, about 
twelve inches long, and of a fawn color. The second species has rather 
strong prickles, and is of a grayish-black color. 

The spines of the tenrec are like stiff pointed bristles, and are by no means 
so strong as those of the hedgehog. 




THE STORY OF THE RABBIT. 



From the day of its birth till the day of its death a rabbit spends most 
of its time dodging or fighting the enemies that seek its life. All the 
larger birds of prey are constantly on the lookout for rabbits, and were it 
not for the tangled vines and the briar hedges, bunny would find it more 
difficult to escape than he does with their friendly aid. Almost every four- 
footed meat-eating animal is a foe to the rabbit — minks, weasels, skunks, 
wolves, foxes, cats and dogs. Certain snakes will eat rabbits, and are par- 
ticularly fond of young rabbits. Against all these enemies on land and in 
air, and against the arch-enemy of all animal life, the man with a gun, Bunny 
is required to be constantly on guard. Hence he leads an active life, full 
of peril and hair-breadth escapes. 

He has two means of protecting himself — one is to kick out hard and 
strong with his hind legs, and he kills many snakes in this way, and the 
other is to run. Usually he runs. We malign the poor creature by stig- 
matizing it as cowardly or timid, because it runs away when it is hunted. 
Half a dozen men, together with a pack of dogs, band together in pursuit 
lof one defenseless hare, which is likely to run away under such circum- 
stances. There is scarcely any animal, from an elephant or Hon downward, 
that would not run away in like manner; and it is very unfair to brand the 
poor rabbit with an offensive epithet because it does not attempt to fight 
men and a pack of hounds. 

429 



430 THE STORY OP THE RABBIT. 

A farmer had captured a young rabbit in a furrow, and was proceeding 
to mark it by notching its ears, when he was interrupted in his work by 
the mother, which flew at him with singular courage, and struck so fiercely 
with her feet that she tore his hands rather severely. Finding that she could 
not release her child, she stood within a few feet of the captor, and waited 
patiently until he liberated the little rabbit, with which she went off. 

The very long and powerful hind-legs of the rabbit enable it to make 
prodigious bounds, and to cover a considerable space of ground at every 
leap. The hinder limbs are, indeed, of such great proportionate length that 
the animal does not walk, but proceeds by a series of hops or leaps. 

Mark Twain gives a graphic account of the jack-rabbit, one of the mem- 
bers of the hare family, in "Roughing It." "As the sun was going down," 
he says, 'Sve saw the first specimen of an animal known familiarly over 
two thousand miles of mountain and desert — from Kansas clear to the 
Pacific Ocean — as the 'jackass-rabbit.' He is well named. He is just like 
any other rabbit, except that he is from one-third to twice as large, has 
longer legs in proportion to his size, and has the most preposterous ears that 
ever were mounted on any creature but a jackass. 

"When he is sitting quiet, thinking about his sins, or is absent-minded, 
or unapprehensive of danger, his majestic ears project above him conspicu- 
ously; but the breaking of a twig will scare him nearly to death, and then 
he tjlts his ears back gently, and starts for home. All you can see then, 
for the next minute, is his long form stretched out straight, and 'streaking 
it' through the low sage-bushes, head erect, eyes right, and ears just canted 
to the rear, but showing you where the animal is, just the same as if he 
carried a jib. 

"Now and then he makes a marvelous spring with his long hind-legs, 
high over the stunted sage-bushes, and scores a leap that would make a 
horse envious. Presently he comes down to a long graceful 'lope,' and 
shortly he mysteriously disappears. He has crouched behind a sage-bush 
land will sit there and listen and tremble until you get within six feet of 
him, when he will get under way again. 

"But one must shoot at the creature once, if he wishes to see him throw 
his heart into his heels, and do the best he knows how. He is frightened 
clear through now, and he lays his long ears down on his back, straightens 
himself out like a yardstick every spring he makes, and scatters miles behind 
him with an easy indifference that is enchanting. 

"Our party made this specimen 'bump himself,' as the conductor said. 



THE STORY OF THE RABBIT. 



431 



The secretary started him with a shot from the Colt; I commenced spitting 
at him with my weapon; and all at the same instant old 'Allen's' whole 
broadside let go with a rattling crash. He frantically dropped his ears, set 
np his tail, and left for San Francisco at lightning speed. Long after he 
was out of sight we could hear him whiz," 

The jackass-rabbit's ears are, in fact, much longer than his head. Flap- 
ping among the stunted vegetation of the plains, as their owner covers the 
country with a series of prodigious bounds, these ears might be, and in fact 
often are, mistaken for a bird in flight, skimming along near the surface 
of the ground. When frightened, however, the Texas hare, as it is some- 
times called, lays the ears close back, brings its body into the form of a 



^HiH 




^^^^^^^m'A- 




|RHW^"^^^^H 




^^^K'. 








^B 




i 


'^^^^M^^^^^^^^^^l 


^^^^^^^K> 






^1 


■ 




k^ ' 




BHp ' 





A JACK RABBIT IN THE SAGE BRUSH. 



semicircle, and clears the flora of its habitat with flying leaps that bear it 
in safety from the wolf, or even from the swifter hawk. 

Its speed, which is imparalleled among hares, is its only means of safety, 
as it seeks no other hiding place or protection than a little scratch in the 
earth, or the shade afforded by a sage-bush. 

With the exception of one remarkable Indian species all the members 
of the family are very much alike in appearance in coloration; the usual 
tint of the fur on the upper parts being a mixture of gray and reddish 
brown, although in some cases the red, and in others the gray, tends to 
predominate. This coloration harmonizes well with the general tint of 



43^ 



THE STORY OF THE RABBIT. 



the open country on which most of the species dwell. A notcvvorthy feature 
is the pure white of the under surface of the upturned tail. This, in the 
case of the rabbit at least, serves the purpose of a guiding signal to other 
individuals in the presence of danger, so that when the leader of a flock is 
in full retreat towards its hole, the remainder at once see in which direction 
to follow. 

The mountain or Alpine hare is a species with a very wide distribution, 




SCENES IN THE LIFE OF A COTTON-TAIL RABBIT, AND A JACK-RABBIT CHASE. 



ranging over the greater part of Northern Europe and Asia, from Ireland 
in the west tO' Japan in the east, and also^ met with in the Alps, the Pyrenees, 
and the Caucasus. It is represented by a variety known as the Polar hare 
in Arctic America, which extends as far south as Nova Scotia. In the 
British Isles this species is not met with except in Scotland and Ireland; 
and in the former country is commonly termed the blue hare. 



THE STORY OF THE RABBIT. 



433 



The mountain hare is intermediate in size between the common hare 
and the rabbit; and has a relatively smaller and more rounded head, with 
shorter ears, hind legs, and tail than the former. Throughout the year 
in Ireland and the south of Sweden, and during summer in the greater 
part of the rest of its habitat, the general color of the fur is light gray; the 
tips of the ears being black. With the commencement of winter, however, 
except in the regions named, the fur gradually becomes more and more 
flaked with white, until 
at length it assumes a uni- 
formly white hue, save on 
the black tips of the ears. 

The rabbit has been 
introduced by human 
agency into several coun- 
tries beyond Europe, 
where it has flourished 
and multiplied to a de- 
gree beyond conception 
— so much so, indeed, 
that in Australia and 
New Zealand these ani- 
mals have become a per- 
fect pest and a serious 
hindrance to agriculture. 
Rabbits were first intro- 
duced at the period of 
highest prosperity of 
Australia and New South 
Wales by a patriotic gen- 
tlemen who thought it 
would be a good thing 
to rniport a few rabbits into the colony, as they would serve for 
food and for sport. He accordingly imported three couple of rab- 
bits, and they were turned loose. It was not long before it was found 
that the district in question had been transformed into a gigantic rabbit 
warren. Indeed it was discovered that a single pair of rabbits, under favor- 
able circumstances, would in three years have a progeny numbering 13,- 
718,000. The inhabitants of the colony soon found that the rabbits were 




A BABY JACK-RABBIT. 



iU THE STORY OF THE RABBlf. 

a plague, for they devoured the grass, which was needed for the sheep, 
the bark of trees, and every kind of fruit and vegetables, until the prospect 
of the colony became a very serious matter, and ruin seemed inevitable. 
In New South Wales upwards of fifteen million rabbit skins have been 
exjDorted in a single year; while in the thirteen years ending with 1899 no 
less than thirty-nine millions were accounted for in Victoria alone. To 
prevent the increase of these rodents, the introduction of weasels, stoats, 
mungooses, etc., has been tried; but it has been found that these carnivores 
neglected the rabbits and took to feeding on poultry, and thus became as 
great a nuisance as the animals they were intended to destroy. The attempt 
to kill them off by the introduction of an epidemic disease has also failed. 
In order to protect such portions of the country as are still free from rabbits 
fences of wire-netting have been erected; one of these fences erected by 
the Government of Victoria extending for a distance of upwards of one 
hundred and fifty geographical miles. 




STORY OF THE CHAMOIS. 



The chamois is a strongly-built animal, with relatively long and stout 
limbs, and a very short stumpy tail; in height it stands about two feet at 
the withers. It is closely akin tO' the antelope. 

The general notion is that the chamois is an essentially Alpine .animal ; 
that is, one frequenting the glaciers and snowy peaks above the forest-level. 
This, however, is a mistal^en idea ; the truth being that the chamois is really 
a forest-dwelling animal, and that most individuals of the species live from 
year's end to^ year's end within the limits oi the forest. A certain number 
during the summer always leave, however, the main flock, to- take up their 
abode for a period of weeks or months among the glaciers and snow-fields 
above the upper limits of forests. These adventurous individuals are known 
to the hunters as glacier-chamois, in contradistinction tO' wood-chamois ; but a 
short spell of severe weather is sufficient tO' drive even these back tO' the 
shelter of the forests. The favorite haunts of the chamois are the western 
and north-western slopes of the Alps in summer; while in the winter they 
prefer the spots with an easterly or southerly aspect. 

Chamois associate together in herds of fifteen or twenty individuals. 
They repose during the night, but with the first glimmer of dawn commence 
feeding; towards the middle of the day they again seek the shelter of rocks 
or trees, where they lie in the shade till, evening, when they once more issue 

435 



436 THE STORY OP THE CHAMOIS. 

forth to feed. Their chief food consists of Hchens and the scanty mountahi 
herbage. 

All who' have seen chamois in their native haunts are agreed as to their 
extreme agility and wariness; and their sure-footedness has become pro- 
verbial. When alarmed, they utter a shrill whistling sound, which at once 
sets the whole flock in rapid motion. A chamois is able to stand on the summit 
of a pinnacle of rock with all its four feet gathered intO' a space of the size 
of a silver half dollar. 

Their sight is very penetrating, and their sense of smelling and hearing 
is remarkably acute. When the wind blows in a proper direction, they are 
said to be able tO' scent a man at the distance of a mile or upwards. Their 
\oice somewhat resembles that of a hoarse domestic goat; by means of this 
they are called together. When alarmed they adopt a different noise, and 
apprise each other by a kind of whistle. This the animal on watch continues 
as long as he can blow without taking breath ; it is at first sharp, but flat- 
tens toward the conclusion. He then stops for a moinent, looks roimd on all 
sides, and begins whistling afresh, which he continues from time to time. This 
is done with such force that the rocks and forests re-echo the sound. 

His agitation is extreme. He strikes the earth with his feet. He leaps 
upon the highest stones he can find, again looks around, leaps from one place 
to another, and when he discovers anything seriously alarming flies off. This 
whistling is performed through the nostrils, and consists of a strong blowing, 
similar to the sound which a man may make by fixing his tongue to the 
palate, with his teeth nearly shut, his lips open and somewhat extended, and 
blowing long, and with great force. 

In appearance the chamois is an attractive animal. The whole body is 
covered with long hair, hanging down over the sides, of a deep-brown color 
in winter and brownish fawn-color in summer, being in spring slightly mixed 
with gray; the head is of a very pale yellow or straw-color, with a dark-brown 
band on each side, passing from the root of the ears to the corners of the 
mouth, and encircling the eyes and base of the horns; the tail is short and 
black, and the edges of the hips and interior of the thighs and ears alone 
white. The face is straight, as in the goat; the ears small, erect, and pointed; 
and the chin without a beard. In old individuals, particularly during the 
severe colds of winter, the cheeks, chin, and throat turn white, and the breast 
and belly are at all times of a light silvery brown or yellow. Underneath the 
external covering there is a short, thick coat of fine wool, which lies close 
to the skin, and protects the animal from the rigors of the cold mountain 



THE STORY OF THE CHAMOIS. 



437 



reerions which it inhabits. The colors of both sexes are the same, but the 
females are rather smaller than the males, and have horns less abruptly 
hooked backward. 

The food of the chamois consists of mountain herbs, flowers, and the 
tender shoots of trees and shrubs; it seldom drinks. Nothing can be more 
admirable than the agility with which it ascends and descends rocks appar- 
ently perpendicular. It does not descend at a single bound nor in a vertical 




THE CHAMOIS AND ITS HABITS. 



direction, but projecting itself obliquely or diagonally forward, striking the 
face of the rock three or four times with its feet for the purpose of renewing 
its force, or directing it more steadily to the point it aims at. 

The chamois is found in all the high mountain-chains of Europe and 
western Asia, in the Pyrenees, the Alps, the Carpathian and Grecian moun- 
tains, the chains of Caucasus and Tauras, and probably it exists in other 
situations. • 




STORY OF THE DUCKBILL. 



The duckbilled platypus is one of the most remarkable animals I have 
ever seen. Australia, where everything seems to be reversed, where the north 
wind is warm and the south wind cold, the thick end oi the pear is next the 
stem, and the stone of a cherry grows outside, is the residence of this most 
extraordinary animal. When it was first introduced into Europe, it was 
fully believed tO' be the manufacture of some impostor, who with much ingenu- 
ity had fixed the beak of a duck into the head of some unknown animal. It 
will, however, be seen by the skull of the animal, that this duck-like beak 
really belongs to the animal, and is caused by a prolongation of some of the 
bones of the head. 

In length the adult male duckbill measures from i8 to 20 inches from the 
tip of the beak tO' the end of the rather short tail. The muzzle is expanded 
and flattened, and has both the upper and lower jaws invested with a blackish 
naked beak not unlike that of a duck. This beak is bordered by a naked 
sensitive skin, forming a fold at the base of the snout, the nostrils being situ- 
ated near its front end. The body is covered with short, close, and some- 
what mole-like fur, including both longer hairs and a woolly under- fur; its 
usual color being deep brown, becoming paler underneath. The tail is broad 
and flattened, and has a coat of coarse hairs, which on the under side are 

438 



THE STORY OF THE DUCKBILL. 



439 



usually worn off by old individuals. The tongue is small, and the cheeks 
are provided with pouches for storing food. On the heel of the male is a long 
horny spur an inch long, curving upward and backward. In this spur is a 
canal connected with a gland on the leg which secretes a poisonous fluid. 

The duckbill is restricted to Southern and Eastern Australia and Tas- 
mania, where it is fairly common in places suited toi its habits. Thoroughly 
aquatic in their habits, and exclusively frequenting fresh waters, duckbills 




THE DUCKBILL AND ITS BURROW. 



are remarkably shy creatures, and rarely seen, except at evening, when they 
come up to the top of the water, and look like sO' many black bottles floating 
on the surface, — sinking down immediately if alarmed. By quietly watching 
the stream in the evening they may be easily shot, and they will readily take 
a bait on a hook. Although mingling together when in the water, these animals 
live in pairs in the burrows constructed in the banks; their favorite haunts 
being where the streams expand intO' wide, still pools. In the banks of such 



440 THE STORY OF THE DUCKBILL. 

out of the way spots are constructed their burrows; each of which usually 
has one entrance opening beneath the water, and another abo\'-e the water- 
level, hidden among the herbage growing on the bank. The burrow runs 
obliquely upwards from the water to a great distance — sometimes as much 
as fifty feet — into the l>ank; and ends in a chamber, lined with grass and 
other substances, where the young are produced. 

Two eggs are laid at a time, enclosed in a strong, flexible, white shell, 
measuring about three-quarters of an inch in length, and two^-thirds of that 
in diameter. They resemble the eggs of birds in the large size of their yolk, 
of which only a small portion goes to the formation of the embryo, while the 
remainder serves for its food. When first hatched, the young are blind and 
naked, with the beak very short, and its margins smooth and fleshy, thus 
forming a nearly circular mouth, well fitted to receive the milk ejected from 
the glands of the mother. The duckbill feeds on various small water animals, 
such as insects, shell fish and worms, which it obtains by probing with its 
beak in the mud and sand near the banks ; the food being first stored in the 
large cheek-pouches, and afterwards devoured at leisure. The large front 
paws are the chief agents in swimming and diving. On land these creatures 
move somewhat awkwardly, in a shuffling manner; and when reposing in 
their nests curl themselves up in a ball-like fashion. The natives capture the 
duckbill, by digging holes with sticks into the burrow from the ground above 
at distances from one another, until they light upon the terminal chamber. 




STORY OF THE PECCARY. 



In South America I made the acquaintance of a gentleman who had 
a large plantation which had suffered much damage from the frequent visits 
of a herd of peccaries. 

He finally located the sleeping place of the herd, and at his invitation I 
accompanied him upon a peccary shooting expedition. He chose a cloudy 
morning, with threatening rain, for on such days the peccary will not leave its 
lodgings unless compelled. Before we started a fine drizzle came on, which 
made the day all the better for our purpose. The peccary's mode of sleeping 
is peculiar. They usually frequent those heavy canebrakes, through which 
are scattered, at wide intervals, trees of enormous size and age. These, from 
their isolated condition, are most exposed to the fury of storms, and, there- 
fore, most liable to be thrown down. We find their giant stems stretched 
here and there through the canebrakes, overgrown with the densest thickets 
of the cane, matted together by strong and thorny vines. In these old trees 
the peccaries find their favorite lodgings. Into one of these logs a drove of 
twenty or thirty of them wall enter at night, each one backing in, so that 
the last one entering stands with his nose at the entrance. The planters, 
who dread them and hate them, as well on account of the ravages on their 
grain-crops which they commit, the frequent destruction or mutilation by 
them of their stock — their favorite dogs, and sometimes even their horses — 

441 



442 THE STORY OF THE PECCARY. 

wage a unique warfare upon them, and it was upon such a mission that my 
friend and I set out. 

Just before day we arrived at one of the big logs in which the peccaries 
had taken refuge. Concealing ourselves we waited in silence for the com- 
ing light. 

Soon as the day opened, peering cautiously through the cane, we could 
perceive the protruded snout, and sharp, watchful eyes of the sentinel- 
peccary on duty, while his fellows behind him were asleep. Noiselessly the 
unerring rifie was raised, the fin^-of its explosion was heard, and, with a 
convulsive spring, the sentinel leapt forward out of the hole, and rolled in its 
death-struggle on the ground. Scarcely an instant passed before a low grunt 
was heard, and another pair of eyes were seen shining steadily in the place 
the other had just held. Not a sound was heard, not even a branch of the 
embowering cane stirred as I raised my rifle for the next shot. With steady 
nerve the piece was fired. Out sprang the second victim as the first had 
done; then another took its place, and so on to the third, fourth, fifth, and 
twentieth. By some carelessness my friend and I happened to make a stir in 
the cane around us, when out sprang the twenty-first with a short grunt with- 
out waiting to be shot this time, and followed by the whole herd, which was at 
once joined by a herd that came grunting and tearing from a similar hiding 
place. Both herds charged straight at us, and we took to our heels. 

With foresight gained by experience my planter friend had selected a 
place of concealment near a forest of large trees. Toward this we ran, and 
succeeded in reaching the lower branches before the enraged animals arrived 
at the base. From this vantage point we finally succeeded in kilHng the 
remainder of the droves. 

The peccary is both dreaded and hated by the South Americans, for it 
is so exceedingly ferocious, and so utterly devoid of all sense of fear, that it 
will always charge at any object that comes in its way; an elephant would not 
scare it, if an elephant were to be transported to South America. So it puts 
to flight those whom it attacks, and they fly before it in mixed fear and wrath 
against the pugnacious little animals which are pursuing them. 

It is small, rarely exceeding eighteen inches in height, and yet is not 
less dreaded than the most savage wild boar w'ould be. Its jaws are armed 
with tusks, like those of the boar, but they are straight instead of curved, are 
sharp at the edges, and, although only about an inch and a half in length, 
inflict horrible wounds, on account of the muscular strength of the creature's 
neck. When a body of them charge against an enemy, fancied or real, they 



THE STORY OF THE PECCARY. 



443 



will never be driven away, but will fight till the last is slain. On this account, 
no one will willingly oppose them; and, if a herd of peccaries comes in the 
way, men, horses, and dogs, all fly in haste, as even the horses would be 
vsoon brought down, for their legs would be cut to pieces. 

Of the two species of this animal, the collared peccary is the smaller. 
It is from 13^ to 15^ inches at the shoulder and ranges from Arkansas and 
Texas to Patagonia. 




PECCARIES, AND THEIR SAVAGE WAYS. 



The white-lipped peccary is the larger species, and is found south of the 
Rio Negro. 

An altogether unique feature in these animals is the presence of a large 
gland in the middle of the back, from which is secreted in great abundance a 
most evil-smelling oily substance. 

In appearance, peccaries are not unlike small hogs but with very slender 
limbs; they have no tails, and their snouts are very long and flexible. 




STORY OF THE LINSANG. 



Next to the ocelot, I think the linsang is the most beautifully marked ani- 
mal I ever met. The linsang is related to the civet and there are four varieties 
of it, three Oriental and one African. 

It has a long, slender body, short limbs, long head and neck, and a tail 
longer than the head and body combined. The claws can be completely with- 
drawn within their sheaths ; the soles of the feet are hairy. 

It has no scent pouch like the civet. 

It is not only in the color of its fur, but the texture also, that the linsang 
is beautiful. The fur is short and soft and so thick that the skin of the animal 
looks like a pile of velvet. The ground color is reddish, freely marked with 
bold black spots, while the long tail is circled by black rings. 

This striking combination and arrangement of colors has suggested the 
name of tiger-civet for this animal, but it is better known by the name of 
linsang. 

They are all flesh-eating animals, but some of them also> feed upon insects. 
The linsangs of Asia have larger spots than the African species. 

The earliest known of these animals was the Javan linsang from Java, 
Borneo, and perhaps Sumatra. It is the smallest of the linsangs. 

The Burmese linsang, which is the largest, and handsomest, of the group, 
appears tO' be a rare animal, and is at present known only by twO' specimens, 
one obtained from near Moulmein, and the other in South Tenasserim. Th^ 

444 



THE STORY OF THE UN SANG. 



445 



tail is slightly shorter than the head and body; the length of the two latter 
being about nineteen inches, and that of the former (including the hair at the 
tip) just under seventeen inches. The body has a grayish ground-color, 
marked with about six very broad and somewhat irregular brownish-black 




bands extending across the back, and separated by very narrow intervals. On 
the flanks and neck the markings form broken lines and spots, one very distinct 
line always extending from behind the ear to the shoulder. The outer surfaces 
of the fore-limbs and of the thighs are spotted ; and the tail has seven com- 
plete dark rings, separated by narrower light interspaces. 



446 THE STORV OP THE UMSAMC. 

The spotted linsang, which is found from the Southeastern Himalaya tO' 
Yunan, is a somewhat smaller animal; the length of the head and body being 
only fifteen inches. It is readily distinguished by its coloration ; the back being 
marked with rows of large oblong spots, instead of bands. 

A tame specimen of this beautiful animal was once kept by a Mr. Hodgson 
in Nipal. He describes it as very docile, fond of notice, and never giving vent 
to any kind of sound. It was free from the strong odor characteristic of the 
true civets, and was fed upon raw meat. He states that in its wild condition 
this species is equally at home on trees and on the ground ; and that it dwells 
and breeds in the hollows of decayed trees. It preys chiefly upon small birds, 
upon which it is wont to pounce from the coover of the grass. 

The African linsang, of which some of the distinctive characters have been 
already mentioned, is foimd only on the West Coast, in Sierra Leone and 
FernandO' Po, and is, therefore, widely separated from its Oriental relatives. 
The tail is somewhat longer than the head and body, measuring upwards of 
forty and one-half inches; whereas the total length of the head and body is but 
thirty-eight inches. The spots, as already mentioned, are smaller than in the 
Oriental linsangs, and, with the exception of some stripes on the back of the 
head, and a line extending from the neighborhood of the ear tO' the shoulder, 
dO' not run together into lines or patches. The tail is peculiar in that the light 
rings separating the large dark bands are divided in the middle by very narrow 
dark rings. 




.'■'Vk 



STORY OF THE AARD-VARK. 



When in South Africa among the Boers, I frequently shot those ugly and 
ungainly animals the Boers call aard-varks, or, in English, earth-pigs. It 
is not always easy tO' get a shot at one, for they are keen of hearing, and rush 
to their burrows at the slightest unusual sound. When unable to reach their 
burrows, they dig into the ground where they happen to be, and they are so 
powerful that they can soon sink their large bodies out of sighu even when 
the ground is hard and sun-baked. 

The body of the aard-vark, which is usually almost naked, but sometimes 
thinly clad with bristly hairs, is heavy and ungainly. The long muzzle oi the 
head is almost a trunk; the ears are of great length, and the tongue can be 
extended like that of the pangolin, although it is not so^ worm-like. The skin 
is of remarkable thickness, its general color being yellowish brown, with a 
tinge of red on the back and sides, while the head and under-parts are light 
reddish yellow ; and the hind-quarters, the root of the tail, and the limbs brown. 
A full-grown aard-vark measures a little over six feet in total length. 

The teeth of the aard-vark differ from those of any other known animal. 
The Cape aard-vark inhabits South and South-Eastern Africa; it is replaced 
in North-Eastern Africa by the Ethiopian aard-vark ; the former being dis- 
tinguished by the thicker coating of hair, more especially on the back and 
flanks, as well as by the thicker and shorter tail, and the longer head and ears. 

447 



448 



THE STORY OF THE AARD-VARK. 



The aard-varks feed exclusively on termites and ants. In South Africa 
their deep burrows are generally constructed in the neighborhood of the tall 
mounds formed by the termites; and, in the old days, before these animals 
were hunted for their skins, it used tO' be said that wherever termite-hills were 
numerous, there an aard-vark might confidently be expected. Wherever these 
animals are abundant, a number of half-formed holes are seen in the ground 
and on the sides of the ant-hills, which have been commenced and abandoned. 
Aard-varks usually spend the whole of the day asleep in their burrows, but 




THE AARD-VARK AND ITS HABITS. 



may occasionally be seen abroad in the early morning. In digging, they work 
with their fore-feet, and throw out huge clods of earth between their hind-legs. 
But little definitely is known as to their breeding-habits, although it has been 
ascertained that the Ethiopian species gives birth during May or June to a 
single offspring. At birth the young is naked and flesh-colored ; and is suckled 
by its parent for a long period. 



STORY OF THE GORILLA. 



The gorilla, an enormous ape from Western Africa, is the largest mem- 
ber of the monkey family, but others have a much greater resemblance to 
man and have many human characteristics wanting in the gorilla. Of the 
man-like apes, the chimpanzee is the largest and most commonly known. 
Next comes the orang-outan, which frequently attains a height of over five 
feet. The gibbon is a small, active simian, and has the peculiarity of great 
cleanHness; the mother washing her offspring's face several times daily in 
spite of the struggles and screams of the young. Others are the marmoset, 
lemurs, the spider-monkeys, 

A great deal of nonsense has been written about the impossibility of man 
being descended from the chimpanzee, a gorilla, or an orang. No one, how- 
ever, who knows what he is talking about, can ever suppose for a single 
moment that such was the case. What zoologists do contend for is that, 
supposing some kind of evolution to be true explanation of the origin of 
animals, — and all the available evidence indicates that it is so, — man is so 
intimately connected, so far as his bodily structure is concerned, with the 
higher apes that, in this respect at least, he cannot but be considered to have 
had a similar origin. And on this view both man and the man-like apes are 
regarded as diverging branches descended from a common ancestor, — "the 

449 



450 THE STORY OF THE GORILLA. 

missing link/' — long since extinct, and as mnch unlike any living ape, as 
such apes are unlike man himself. 

That the higher apes are closely related in their bodily structure tO' man 
is obvious to all, and it is a fact that the differences between some of these 
apes and man are of far less importance than those by which the lower 
monkeys are separated from the higher apes. It has, indeed, been attempted 
to show that apes and monkeys are sharply distinguished from man by the 
circumstance that while man is two-handed, apes and monkeys are four- 
handed. The difference between the foot of one of the larger apes and that 
of man is, however, merely one of degree, and is much less than that between 
the apes and the lowest representatives of the order. 

Most of the monkey tribe are inhabitants of forest regions. Aided bv 
their hand-like feet, all of them are expert climbers, and many, like the 
oriental gibbons and the South American spider-monkeys, but rarely leave 
the trees, leaping from bough to bough, and thus from tree to tree, far above 
the heads of the travelers below, to whom their presence is made known 
only by their continual howling or chattering. The climbing powers of the 
South American monkeys are largely aided by their prehensile tails, which 
serve the purpose of a fifth limb. Owing tO' the warmth of the regions in 
which most of them dwell, monkeys never hibernate. Contrary, however, 
to what is often supposed to be the case, several of the smaller species are 
expert swimmers, and will fearlessly cross comparatively large rivers. 

When the human skeleton is contrasted with that of the ape the size of 
the ape's forearm is the most striking point of difference. Next comes the 
shape of the skull and the ring of bone surrounding the sockets of the eyes. 
The number of teeth differs in the various species. In the very young the 
resemblance to man is much greater than in the adult ape. 

Dr. Robert Hartmann, of Berlin, who has devoted much attention to 
the man-like apes, observes that "in the gorilla, the chimpanzee, and the 
orang-outan, the outer form is subject to modifications, according to the 
age and sex. The difference between the sexes is most strongly marked in 
the gorilla, and these differences are least apparent in the gibbons. When 
a young male gorilla is compared wath an aged animal of the same species we 
are almost tempted to believe that we have to do with two entirely different 
creatures. While the young male still shows a resemblance to the human 
structure, and develops in its bodily habits the same qualities which geii- 
erally characterize the short-tailed apes of the Old World, with the exception 
of the baboon, the aged male is otherwise formed. In the latter case the 



THE STORY OP THE GORILLA. 



451 



points of resemblance to the human type are far fewer; the aged animal has 
become a gigantic ape, retaining indeed, in the structure of his hands and 
feet, the characteristics of his kind, while the protruding head is something 
between the muzzle of the baboon, the bear, and the boar. Simultaneously 
with these remarkable alterations of the outer structure there occurs a 
change of the skeleton. The skull of an aged male gorilla becomes more 
projecting at the muzzle, and the dog teeth have almost attained the length 




GORILLA AND YOUNG. 



of those of lions and tigers. On the upper part of the skull, which is rounded 
in youth, great bony crests are developed on the crown of the head and on 
the forehead. The arches above the eye-sockets are covered with wrinkled 
skin, and the already savage and indeed revolting appearance of the gorilla 
is thereby increased." 

Natural history is indebted to Paul Du Chaillu, the African traveler 
and explorer, for its first definite knowledge of the gorilla. 



45^ THE STORY OF THE GORILLA. 

A full-grown male, if standing in a perfectly upright position, will gen- 
erally measure rather more than six feet in height; and since his body is 
much more bulky, and his limbs are longer than those of a man, he is con- 
siderably the largest representative of his kind. As in the chimpanzee, there 
are distinct eyebrows on the forehead and lashes to the lids of the eyes. The 
nose has a relatively long bridge, and its extremity is high, conical, and 
widely expanded. The upper lip is remarkable for its shortness; and the 
whole of the dark skin in the region of the nose, cheeks, and mouth is 
marked by a number of wrinkled folds. The massive jaws are extremely 
projecting, and with their huge tusks, or dog teeth, complete the repulsive 
aspect imparted to the expression by the overhanging eyebrows. The ears 
are comparatively small and appear to be fastened above and behind to the 
sides of the face. The head is joined to the trunk by a very short and thick 
neck, which gives the appearance of its being set into the shoulders; and 
the term "bull-necked" is therefore strictly applicable to the creature. This 
great thickness and power of the neck is largely due to the backward pro- 
jection of the skull, and the tall spines surmounting the vertebra of the neck. 
The muscles of the shoulders and chest are equally powerful, as is essential 
for the movements of the mighty arms. 

Although when driven to close quarters the gorilla is doubtless one of 
the most terrible of foes, yet it appears certain that very exaggerated 
accounts have been given of the natural ferocity. Herr von Koppenfels 
informs us that so "long as the gorilla is unmolested he does not attack 
men; and, indeed, rather avoids the encounter." And when these creatures 
catch sight of men, they generally rush off precipitately in the opposite 
direction through the underwood, giving vent at the same time to peculiar 
guttural cries. It appears that many gorillas are killed by the natives with 
the aid of a weighted spear suspended by a cunningly devised system of 
cords in the creature's path. Others are, however, undoubtedly shot by the 
negroes, although it would seem that, at least in many instances, such 
animals have been accidentally met by the hunters as they travelled through 
the forest rather than deliberately sought out and tracked. 




THE STORY OF THE WEASEL. 



No one would think, on seeing a weasel for the first time, that the 
graceful, slender little animal, with its brown back, pretty, white throat, 
funny face, and sparkling eyes, was such a fierce, bloodthirsty creature. But 
that little head is full of murderous designs, and has the courage of a giant. 
Rats and mice are everywhere hunted out and destroyed by the weasel. " It 
inflicts a bite on the head which pierces the brain, and seldom fails to lay 
the victim dead at its feet by one stroke. 

The weasel is also' a destroyer of newly-hatched chickens and young 
ducks, as well as of the smaller feathered tribe; and although it does good 
service in keeping down the mice, it is a bad neighbor to the hare and rabbit- 
warren. It is a most active and persevering hunter; few trees will stop it 
when in search of birds' nests, which it robs, not only by sucking the eggs, 
but by carrying off the young. 

The weasel is excessively useful to farmers on account of its unrelenting 
war on rats and mice, and in an incredibly short space of time it extirpates 
them from a barn or stack. It hunts by scent like dogs, and tracks the 
unfortunate rat with the most deadly certainty. It is so courageous that 
it will even attack men, and is by no means a despicable antagonist, as its 
instinct invariably leads it to dash at the throat, where a bite from its lon.s^ 
^harp t^eth is always dangerous. 

45^] 



454 THE STORY OF THE WEASEL. 

The weasel's nest is composed of dry leaves and herbage, and is made in 
a hollow tree, dry ditch or hole in the side of a bank. If any one approaches 
the nest while the young are helpless, the mother and often the male will 
attack the intruder with great fury, showing courage to a remarkable degree. 

The pretty little South African weasel is worthy of mention, not only 
on account of its remarkable coloration, but also as being the sole represen- 
tative of the weasels in Africa south of the Sahara. This species is distin- 
guished from all the other weasels by having the ground-color of the fur 
black, with the upper part of the head and neck white, and four pale 
brownish white stripes running along the back; the tapering tail being white. 

I have on several occasions witnessed this animal tantalize the lion and 
other large animals of South Africa. It has a shrill cry, and, secure in its nest 
among the rocks, it comes to the entrance and sets up a peculiar moan. 
Should a lion be within hearing he proceeds to investigate, and the moan 
is lessened until the lion believes himself about to find a victim. When he 
approaches quite near, the little creature retreats to a secure place but con- 
tinues its cry. The lion after a vain search gives up the attempt. 

The weasel is very often called "wormlike," and a better name could 
scarcely be applied to it, for anything more wormlike could hardly 
be imagined in a hairy quadruped or four-footed animal. The legs 
are extremely short in relation to- the body, which is slender in the highest 
degree, and almost regularly cylindrical from one end to the other. Then 
the neck is of most disproportionate length, and carries the head out so far, 
that the forelegs appear as if placed quite at the hinder end of the chest, 
instead of in the front of it. The head passes gradually into the neck, and 
the neck into the body. The head is flattened, and bears little, glittering 
savage-looking eyes, and small rounded ears. The length from snout to 
root of tail does not exceed eight inches. The tail is about two inches long. 
The fur is light reddish-brown above, and white below; in northern latitudes 
the brown parts assume a much lighter color in winter, so that the weasel 
undergoes a change of coat similar to, but less extensive than that under- 
gone by the ermine. 

The weasel is a good climber, and makes use of his skill in this accom- 
plishment to prey upon birds, their eggs, and young. It will pursue its prey 
over fields, in trees, in subterranean burrows, or across water. Like many 
of the wild cats, it kills far more than is necessary for its support, and in 
pursuance of its favorite occupation of slaughter shows an unequaled cour- 
age and pertinacity. Its power of keeping its presence of mind under very 



I 



THE STORY OF THE WEASEL. 



455 



trying circumstances is well shown in the following anecdote: While riding 
through a field one day I saw at a short distance a kite pounce on some 
object on the ground, and rise with it in his talons. In a few moments, how- 
ever, the kite began to show signs of great uneasiness, rising rapidly in the 
air, or as quickly falling, and wheeling irregularly round, whilst it was 
evidently endeavoring to force some obnoxious thing from it with its feet. 




THE WEASEL AND ITS PREY. 



After a sharp but short contest, the kite fell suddenly to the earth, not far 
from where I was intently watching the manoeuvre. I instantly rode up to 
the spot, when a weasel ran aw^ay from the kite, apparently unhurt, leaving 
the bird dead, with a hole eaten through the skin under the wing, and the 
large blood-vessels of the part cut through. 




THE STORY OF THE FERRET. 



The ferret is one of the many animals that have given a word to the 
EngHsh language. The instinctive desire tO' follow burrowing animals is the 
most striking peculiarity of the ferret, and his ability as a rat-catcher and 
rabbit-hunter is well known. It is this trait which has resulted in the verb 
"ferret," meaning to investigate. Detectives ferret out crimes and build up 
the clues which result in the arrest of the criminal. 

So wonderfully are these little creatures suited for the purpose of tracking 
the various burrowing animals, that man has taken one of them into use as 
his assistant, training it to follow rabbits and rats intO' their holes, and to drive 
them out, in order that he may kill them. Its long and slender body enables 
it to wind its way through the narrow passages which those animals dig in 
the ground, and so to force them from a position in which they would other- 
wise be quite secure. 

In rabbit-catching the ferret is usually sent intO' the hole either muzzled or 
attached tO' a coil of string, by which it can be withdrawn. If allowed to 
enter a rabbit-hole unmuzzled, or without a string, ferrets are very likely to 
remain in such good quarters, and to slaughter the occupants one after another. 
The usual plan is toi stop all the entrances to^ the burrows by means of small 
bag-like nets, in which the rabbits are caught when they bolt ; but sometimes ■ 
they are allowed tO' bolt freely, and are either shot or coursed with dogs. In 
■ ferreting it is essential that those who are present should be perfectly silent, 
fis otherwise the rabbits will prefer to be eaten alive by the ferret in their holes 

4$6 



THE STORY OF THE FERRET. 



457 



rather than attempt to escape. It is also important that no^ one should stand 
immediately in front of the entrance to the hok. When a ferret enters a 
burrow in which there are several rabbits, a prodigious scuffling and scurry- 
ing immediately takes place in the interior; and after a few minutes, if not 
frightened by sounds above, the occupants soon begin tO' bolt in rapid succes- 
sion at the various exits. Like the other members of its tribs, a ferret almost 
invariablv seizes a rabbit immediatelv behind the ear. 




THE FERRET AND ITS PREY. 



Ferrets are bred chiefly for rabbit and rat-hunting, both in Europe and the 
.United States. Although they learn to know their masters to a certain extent, 
they are untrustworthy animals, and should be handled with caution. The 
ferret has no strong local attachments, and, therefore, requires to be strictly 
secured. It is also very susceptible to cold. 

The ferret is of a light yellowish color, changing almost to white in winter. 
It is about fourteen inches long, with a tail oi six inches. The eyes are pink. 

The American species is known ns, the black-footed ferret and is found 
in the Rocky Mountain region. 




STORY OF THE CHIPMUNK. 



Among the prettiest of the wild animals of the United States is the chip- 
munk, or ground squirrel. 

Who could desire a prettier coat than the chipmunk wears? The ground 
color of the fur is the same as that of the squirrel, with a simple black stripe 
running down the middle of the back, with a white, stripe bordered with black 
on either side of it. There are also twO' white stripes separated by a black one 
above and below the eyes. 

The Siberian chipmunk differs from the American variety, by having four 
light-colored and fine black stripes on the body. 

The chipmunk does not live entirely upon nuts, as many suppose, although 
they are its favorite food. It is also' fond of beech-mast, various kinds of corn 
and roots and the larvae of some insects. 

Chipmunks are most numerous where food is most abundant. When they 
find a place where food is plentiful, they at once establish themselves for the 
winter, and begin tO' hoard up large stores. 

Chipmunks collect an astonishing quantity of food for the winter, which is 
carried to its place of deposit in their large cheek-pouches. In addition to 
regular storehouses, these animals lay up a portion of their winter supply here 
and there beneath the leaves of the forest. In a hole tenanted by four chip- 
munks, Audubon relates that in the nest itself he found about a gill of corn, 
and in the communicating galleries upwards of about a quart of nuts, a peck 

458 



THE STORY OF THE CHIPMUNK. 



459 



of acorns, about two quarts of buckwheat, and a small quantity of Indian corn 
and grass seeds. 

Generally the chipmunk keeps tO' the ground, although it will often run 
some few feet up the trunk of a tree, and when pursued, if its hole be not acces- 
sible, will take refuge among the branches. Instances are, however, on record 
where these animals have been observed regularly ascending tall trees in 
search of food ; and they seemed perfectly at home among the boughs, although 
they never leaped from branch to branch after the manner of the squirrels. 

In regard to its general mode of life, the chipmunk establishes its head- 




THE CHIPMUNK AND ITS HABITS. 



quarters in some log or stump, or in a hole excavated by itself in the earth, 
generally among the roots of a tree. It is partial to brush-heaps, wood piles, 
stone walls, rail fences, accumulations of old rubbish and other places that 
afford a pretty certain escape, and at the same time enable it to see what is 
taking place outside. For, though by no means wary, it delights in these 
loosely sheltered hiding-places, where it can whisk in and out at will, peep 
unobserved at passers-by, and dart back when prudence demands. If suddenly 
surprised, it utters a shart chip-per, r, r, r, and makes a sudden quick dash 
for its retreat, which is no sooner reached than, simultaneously with the dis- 



460 THE STORY OF THE CHIPMUNK. 

appearance of its tail, out pops its head, the keen dark eyes gazing intently 
at the source of alarm. If not pursued further, it is very apt to advance 
towards the supposed enemy, betraying excitement by a series of nervous starts 
and precipitous retreats, till finally, making a bold rush, it dashes by the object 
of dread, and in another instant is peering out from a hole beneath the roots 
of a neighboring tree. The chipmunk does not make an agreeable pet, and it 
is apt to be sulky and morose, and disposed to bite the fingers of any one who 
offers it food. 

The ground-squirrel of Siberia, portions of Eastern Europe, and North 
America, together with several other closely-allied North American species 
commonly known as chipmunks, constitute a group serving to connect the 
squirrel family with the susliks. The chipmunks are indeed so closely allied 
to the true squirrels that Dr. Forsyth-Major proposes to include them in 
the same family. They differ, however, from both the spiny-squirrels and 
the true squirrels in the possession of pouches inside the cheeks; on which 
account they may, for the present at least, be allowed to stand under the title 
by which they are commonly known. They are further characterized by the 
sides, or the back and sides together, being marked by white or grayish- 
white stripes bordered by black bands. The ears are of medium size or 
small, and are never tufted with long hair. 




THE STORY OF THE CAVY, 



The species of cavy with which American children are most familiar is 
known as the guinea pig. 

One of the best known of the many species is the restless cavy of Uruguay 
and Brazil, which measures rather more than ten inches in length, and weighs 
about a pound. The color of the long and coarse fur is grayish-brown ; and 
the teeth are white. This species is common in certain districts in the neigh- 
borhood of the Rio de la Plata, where it is known by the name of aperea. 
According to Darwin, it is occasionally found on tl:e sandhills or the hedges 
of aloes and cactuses ; but its more usual and favorite haunts are marshy spots 
covered with water plants. In the latter places it lives among the shelter of the 
vegetation, but in sandy districts it excavates burrows. It usually comes forth 
to feed in the evenings and mornings; but in cloudy weather may sometimes 
be seen abroad at all hours. In Paraguay, it is invariably found in moist places 
on the borders of the forest, where it lives in colonies of from six to fifteen, 
among the dense masses of bromelia. Here it makes regular beaten paths, and 
never wanders far afield. It breeds but once a year, producing only one or 
two young. Cutler's cavy, from Peru, is a rather smaller species, distinguished 
by the general black hue of the fur, although the flanks and more especially 

the under-parts tend to brown. 

461 



462 



THE STORY OF THE CAW. 



Much discussion has arisen as to the origin of the domestic guinea-pig. It 
was long considered to have been derived from the restless cavy; although 
several vv'riters pointed out that from its aversion to wet and cold such an origin 
was improbable. It appears, however, that the real ancestor of the domestic 
breed is the above-mentioned Cutler's cavy. It has been ascertained that the 
latter species was domesticated by the Incas of Peru, from whence it was car- 
ried to Colombia and Ecuador; while, on the other hand, no cavy was ever 
domesticated in Brazil. 

The domesticated cavies.of the Incas were either uniformly white or reddish 




GUINEA PIGS. 



brown, or a mixture of those two colors. Guinea-pigs are generally either 
white or white marked with yellow and black. Occasionally, however, they 
may be white marked with pale yellow, and in such cases they always have pink 
e3^es. Sometimes, again, they may be marked with brownish black, mouse- 
color, or yellowish gray ; while in certain cases the black may be replaced by 
Jis-hy gray, when the eyes are pink. Of late years a breed has been formed with 
exceedingly long coarse hair, and of larger size than ordinary. 

Guinea-pigs were introduced into Europe by the Dutch during the six- 
teenth century, shortly after the discovery of America ; the name being probably 



THE STORY OF THE CAVY. 



463 



a corruption of Guiana-pig. From their 
the ease with which they are kept and 
guinea-pigs have always been favorite 
be confessed that from their stupidity 
regarded as very interesting creatures, 
are kept together, they certainly form a 
they follow one another round and 
unbroken order is very remarkable. In 



■ pretty appearance and ways, as well as 
the rapidity with which they multiply, 
pets with children; although it must 
and want of affection they cannot be 
When, however, a number of them 
pretty sight ; and the manner in which 
round their place of confinement in 
some respects they resemble rabbits in 




PATAGONIAN CAVIES. 



their habits, while in other they are more like mice. Their pace is by no means 
swift and consists partly of a series of short springs ; while the peculiar man- 
ner in wliich the body is elongated when creeping is familiar to all. Their 
food co-nsists of roots, corn and various vegetables ; and it is essential to the 
well-being oi these animals that the place where they are kept should be dry 
and warm. If supplied with abundance O'f fresh vegetables, guinea-pigs do- not 
require water; and when they do drink they take but little, and this with a 
lapping action. When pleased, guinea-pigs utter a soft murmuring cry ; when 



464 THE STORY OF THE CAW. 

alarmed, this changes to a squeak; while a series of short grunts (from which 
they probably derive their name) appear to be their mode of expressing their 
wants and desires. 

A few hours after they are born, young guinea-pigs are able tO' run by the 
side of their mother, and on the second day they are able to nibble not only soft 
plants, but even corn. 

Although guinea-pigs lack the courage to defend themselves even from a 
mouse they fight fiercely among themselves, usually tO' see which shall have 
the warmest corner or the best chance at the food. Their mode of fighting is 
peculiar. One of them seizes the neck of its antagonist with its teeth and 
attempts to tear off the hair. The oiie attacked will turn and kick up behind 
like a horse, scratching the other's flanks, and sometimes drawing blood. 

The Bolivian cavy is smaller than the restless cavy and makes his home 
in the Andes mountains, twelve thousand feet above the level of the sea. 

The Patagonian cavy greatly resembles a hare, and lives in a burrow. Al- 
though its limbs are long it is not a fast runner Tike the animal it resembles. 
Its flesh is white, when cooked, but rather dry and tasteless. 



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THE STORY OF THE MARTEN. 



My experience with martens has shown me that they are among the 
most bloodthirsty of the small animals. They are closely related to the 
smaller polecats, stoats and weasels. The well-known European pine-mar- 
ten, or yellow-breasted marten, is the typical representative of the family. 
They are of comparatively large size, and may be compared in this respect 
to the domestic cat. In all of them the body is much lengthened, although 
to a less degree than is the case with the polecats and weasels. The mar- 
tens are found only in the Northern Hemisphere, and range far to the north- 
wards; one species, however, occurring as far south as India and the Malayan 
region. 

The pine-marten has a total length of from 25 to 30 inches, of which from 
16 to 18 inches are occupied by the head and body, and from 9 to 12 inches 
by the tail, inclusive of the hair at its extremity. As in the other members of 
this group, the muzzle is sharply pointed, with the nose extending a little 
beyond the lips; and the ears are thickly covered with hair on both sides. 
Beneath the glossy outer fur there is a thick coat of under-fur; and the soles 
of the feet have a thick coat of fur between the bare pads. 

The pine-marten is characterised by the rich brown color of the fur, and 

the reddish gray tint and yellow tips of the under-fur; the light-colored fur 

on the throat and chest varying in tint from yellowish white to a bright 

orange. The range of this species includes a large portion of Northern 

• 465 



M mn SfORY OF THE MARfM. 

Europe and Asia; and in former years the animal was common in the British 
Isles, where it is now restricted to the wilder districts. From the specific 
designation of this marten, it would naturally be supposed •that it exhibits an 
especial predilection for pine-forests. This, however, does not appear to be 
the case, and it would seem that the name was given merely from the cir- 
cumstances that pine forests are abundant in many of the districts which it 
inhabits. 

Like the other members of the group, it is chiefly tree-frequenting 
in its habits, and thereby differs markedly from the weasels, which are 
more fond of the ground. Creeping from branch to branch in silent and 
stealthy pursuit of birds, squirrels, and other small animals, their sharp 
and long claws afford them a firm and secure hold of the bark, whilst the 
long and somewhat bushy tail aids them in maintaining their balance on the 
boughs; the ears, too, are large and open, a circumstance which is of great 
advantage to them in discovering and pursuing their prey, amidst the dense 
foliage in which they love to conceal themselves. Martens will, how^ever, 
frequently descend to the ground, when they will destroy mice, rats, and 
moles, as well as rabbits and hares, and, it is said, even lambs. They are 
also deadly enemies to domestic poultry of all kinds; while in the neighbor- 
hood of the sea-coast they are also reported to feed on mussels. When 
domesticated, it is said on good authority that they will eat fruit. 

Although it was long considered that the beech-marten was also found 
in the British Islands, it is now^ ascertained that the present species is the 
only member of the group that has ever occurred there. In the wilder dis- 
tricts of Scotland, as well as in the north of England, Wales, and Ireland, 
the marten still holds its own; while specimens are occasionally captured in 
districts where it is now practically extinct. 

The beech or white-breasted marten, formerly supposed to be an in- 
habitant of the British Islands, is generally of a greyish brow-n color, al- 
though the tint may vary from a whitish brown to deep blackish brown, 
with the tail and limbs generally darker than the body. The light area 
on the throat and chest, which may vary considerably in extent in different 
individuals, is invariably white; while the color of the under-fur varies from 
ashy to pure white. The length of the head and body is about i8 inches, 
and that of the tail, with the hair at the end, 13 inches. 

This species is a more southern form than the last, being widely dis- 
tributed in Europe, but not reaching either the British Islands or Scan- 
dinavia; while to the eastward it extends into Asia as far as Turkestan and 



THE STORY OF THE MARTEN. 



4(57 



the Eastern Himalaya. In the latter districts examples have been procured 
from Afghanistan in the west to Sikhim in the east, and also from Knmaun 
and Ladak; further eastwards it appears to be unknown. Throughout the 
Himalaya it is generally found at considerable elevations, although descend- 
ing as low as five thousand feet in the Gilgit district. It inhabits the whole 
of Central Europe and Italy, the warmer parts of European Russia as far as 
the Urals, as well as the Crimea; the western and northern slopes of the 
Caucasus, Palestine, Syria, and Asia Minor. It appears, however, to be un- 
known in Persia. 



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THE PINE MARTEN. 



Over the greater part of Europe this marten is a commoner animal than 
the pine-marten, which it also exceeds in the greater boldness of its dispo- 
sition. Although it is a frequenter of woods and trees, it is also found not 
uncommonly among rocks and stones, and hence receives its German name 
of stcinmardcr. In barren districts like Ladak this marten must, of course, 
nearly always dwell among rocks. From its bold disposition it is fre- 
quently found in the neighborhood of human habitations, where it inflicts 
much damage on poultry. 

In its general mode of life the species closely resembles the pine-marten. 
The nest is carefully formed of hay and straw, and situated in a hole in a tree, 
in the crannies between rocks, or in an old barn or granary. The young, 



468 THE STORY OF THE MARTEN. 

generally from four to five in number, are born about the month of April, 
and are bhnd for the first fortnight of their existence. 

Its wanderings at night during the summer are extensive; and no dove- 
cot — however lofty it may be — is safe when there is a marten anywhere in 
the neighborhood. The food of this species is much the same as that of 
the last, although in inhabited districts including more domesticated animals 
it feeds on mice, rats, rabbits, and all kinds of birds; and, when dwelling 
in woods, hunts and kills squirrels, lizards, and frogs. It likewise eats fruits 
of various kinds, such as cherries and plums; and in some parts of the 
Continent is considered to do so much harm to orchards that the stems of 
the trees are washed with tobacco-juice or petroleum in order to prevent 
the marten from ascending them. Like all its kindred, the beech-marten is, 
for its size, an exceedingly bloodthirsty creature, and will often kill more 
than it can devour. 

These animals utter a kind of mewing sound not unlike that of a cat; 
and a pair of them in a tree may be heard for a considerable distance. 

In general the fur of this species is less valued than that of the pine- 
marten; but soiiie skins from Afghanistan and Turkestan have beautiful 
fur, with long, glossy, nearly black piles, and very soft white or pale ashy 
under-fur. These Turkestan martens were at one time regarded as be- 
longing to a distinct species. 

The inferiority of the fur of the ordinary beech-marten, as compared 
with that of the sable, is due not only to its color and actual length, but 
likewise to the relative length of the long piles as compared with that of the 
under-fur, which is scarcely concealed by them. The more northern skins 
are always superior to those from Southern Europe; and a large number are 
imported into this country and sold as an inferior kind of sable. 

The sable is so nearly related to the pine-marten that some writers 
have considered that it should be regarded merely as a variety distinguished 
by the greater length and fineness of the fur. In the most highly-esteemed 
specimens the fur should be thick, soft, and nearly uniformly colored. Such 
skins are blackish above, having a mixture of black and gray on the snout, 
gray on the cheeks, chestnut-brown on the neck and flanks, and orange- 
yellow, or sometimes reddish orange, on the throat. The margins of the 
ears are either greyish white or light brown in color. In a number of cases 
there is a larger or smaller admixture of white hairs among the dark fur of 
the back, while the muzzle, cheeks, breast, and under-parts are white. In 
other specimens the fur on the back is yellowish brown, while that of the 



THE STORY OF THE MARTEN. 469 

iinder-parts is nearly white, and only the legs black. Good skins should 
exhibit a kind of "watering," owing to the reddish tint of the woolly under- 
fur showing through the long outer hairs. An average sable will measure 
about 20 inches from the snout to the root of the tail; the length of the tail 
being 7 inches. The skins are valued only when they have their winter fur, 
the summer coat being much shorter. In spring, although the winter fur 
may still be retained, the skins are quite useless, as the hair will drop off even 
after the skins have been dressed. 

The range of the sable originally extended from the Ural Mountains 
to Behring Sea, and from the mountains on the southern borders of Si- 
beria to the 68th parallel of north latitude. It is, however, now much cur- 
tailed, owing to the incessant persecution to which the animal has been so 
long subject; and the chief haunts are now the mountain forests of North 
Asia, more especially Eastern Siberia and Kamschatka. 

Sables are for the most part of nocturnal habits, and, though they occa- 
sionally feed by day, generally spend that period of the twenty-four hours 
in holes at the roots or in the trunks of trees. They dislike the presence 
of man, and are rarely to be found in the neighborhood of the villages; 
their favorite resort being the depths of the forest least frequented by the 
natives. It is considered that the most inaccessible and least known parts of 
the country are the best hunting grounds. They live on hares, birds of all 
kinds, and, in short, almost every living thing they can kill, but they are also 
said to eat berries, and even fish. There are, indeed, but few animals, ap- 
parently, which do not live on fish in Kamschatka. They have only one litter 
during the year, generally in the month of April, and bring forth four or 
five young at a birth in a nest in the holes of trees. Formerly a large num- 
ber of sables were caught in traps in Kamschatka, but they are now more 
generally hunted there with dogs; these dogs being specially trained for 
the purpose, and either running down their quarry on the deep snow, 
driving them into trees, or smelling them out when lying asleep in holes. 
The great object in such hunts is to "tree" the sable, when the tree is sur- 
rounded with nets, and the animal either shaken from the boughs or 
knocked off them by means of poles. If the sable does not fall into the nets, 
it is again pursued by the expectant dogs, by whom it is either run down, 
or once more "treed." When the tree is too high to allow of the sable being 
dislodged by the usual methods, it is either felled, or the animal is shot; but 
recourse to guns is if possible avoided, as the shot does damage to the 
skins. If the distance they have to travel be a long one, the Kamschatkan 



470 THE STORY OF THE MARTEN. 

hunters start on their winter expeditions after the sable towards the end 
of September; but, if the district is nearer, they wait until the first fall 
of snow or about six weeks afterwards. If a single hunter takes twenty 
sable skins in a season, he considers himself fortunate. The total number 
annually taken in Kamschatka must be very large. The price of a single 
sable skin in St. Petersburg ranges from $io to $125, according to its quality 
and condition. 

The American marten is so nearly related to the pine-marten and the 
sable that there may be a question whether it should be regarded as any- 
thing more than a variety. The long hair is very like that of the pine- 
marten, to which it is most nearly allied; its general color being more or 
less uniformly brown, the breast-spot yellow, and the head and ears grey or 
whitish. 

It is fomid in the Hudson's Bay district, Labrador, Alaska, and other 
parts of North America, descending on the eastern side as far south as the 
Adirondack Mountains, near New York. 

In habits it appears to be similar to the pine-marten. In the Adiron- 
dacks it inhabits the evergreen forests, and is chiefly, although not ex- 
clusively, nocturnal. Its food consists of partridges, rabbits, and other 
smaller rodents, birds' eggs, young birds, frogs and toads, and large in- 
sects. It is said to display a distinct preference for forests of conifers, and 
is thoroughly arboreal, never venturing into the neighborhood of human 
dwellings. Although generally gentle-looking in appearance it is related 
that when attacking animals larger than itself, such- as hares, it becomes 
as fierce in demeanor, in proportion to its size, as a tiger. When one is 
seen among the tree-tops, the hunter has but to whistle and thus attract 
its attention, when it will afford a ready shot. 

The fur is of great commercial value; the best skins selling at about 
$15. Curiously enough, at certain periods this species becomes exceed- 
ingly scarce; the periods of scarcity recurring with great regularity at in- 
tervals of about ten years. How the animals disappear is, however, un- 
known, since there is no region into which they can migrate without the 
knowledge of the hunter, and none are found dead. The best season for 
obtaining the skins is in November; the animals being generally caught 
in wooden traps, which are set in lines for miles across the country. In 
spite of the incessant persecution to which it is subject, it does not appear 
that this species has appreciably diminished in number in the wilder regions 
of its habitat. 



THE STORY OF THE MARTEN. 471 

The largest of all the martens is the so-called fisher marten, an animal 
rejoicing- in a number of names — both popular and scientific — being vari- 
ously designated as the "pekan," "Pennant's marten," "black fox," and 
"black cat." The two latter titles are due to the large size, stout build, and 
dark color of the animal, which in point of form may be more aptly com- 
pared to a fox than to a weasel. It measures from 24 to 30 inches from 
the tip of the snout to the root of the tail. Its general color is blackish 
brown, becoming grey on the head and neck; while the throat is dis- 
tinguished by the absence of the light-colored patch distinctive of all the 
other species. It ranges over the greater part of North America, as far 
northwards as Alaska and the Great Slave Lake, while to the southwards 
it is found in the upper part of Texas and about latitude 35 degrees. Con- 
tinual hunting has, however, exterminated the animal from the more settled 
districts of the United States east of the Mississippi. 

The name of fisher is somewhat of a misnomer, for these animals com- 
monly frequent deep swamps and wooded mountain sides, away from the 
immediate vicinage of water, and are not known to catch fish for them- 
selves as do the mink and otter. However, they are fond of fish, and never 
neglect to devour those that chance to fall in their way. They prey 
chiefly upon hares, scpurrels, mice, grouse, small birds, and frogs, and are 
said to eat snakes. They also catch and feed upon their own congener, 
the marten, and m^ake a practice of devouring all that they discover in 
dead-falls and steel-traps. It also appears that porcupines compose a con- 
siderable proportion of their food in some districts; specimens being some- 
times killed with numbers of porcupine-cjuils in their skin and flesh. Cur- 
iously enough, these needle-like quils which often exceed 2-i- inches in 
length, seem to cause it but little or no inconvenience. Instances are re- 
corded where the fisher marten has attacked and routed such a compara- 
tively large animal as the raccoon. 

In its chiefly nocturnal and largely arboreal habits the fisher marten re- 
sembles most of the other members of the group; its agility in the forests is, 
however, very remarkable, and when much frightened, or in pursuit of prey, 
it has been known to leap from tree to tree. The nest is usually built in the 
hole of a tree at a great height above the ground; the young being gen- 
erally from two to four in number and produced at the end of April or be- 
ginning of May. 

The fisher marten is trapped for its skins in the northern parts of America 
from October till May, those captured in the early part of the season being 



473 THE STORY OF THE MARTEN. 

in the best condition. The fur is not nearly so valuable as thac of the 
American marten; the usual price being about a dollar and a half per skin. 
In the European markets the fur is generally known as Virginian polecat. 

Readily distinguished from all the other species by its more brilliant 
color and the greater relative length of the tail, which is fully equal to two- 
thirds that of the head and body, the Indian marten is the handsomest mem- 
ber of the group. The soles of the feet are partially naked, although this 
character is less marked in Himalayan specimens than in those from more 
easterly regions. 

The fur is generally short, although longer in the Himalayan than in 
other examples, and has a thick, w^oolly under-fur during the winter. There 
are two varieties of this animal, one of wdiich is more brightly colored than 
the other. In the former, or common Indian type, the upper part of the 
head and neck, the rump, the tail, and the limbs, are either glossy blackish 
brown or black; while the middle of the back is of a paler brown, sometimes 
with a W'hitish tinge. The chin and upper part of the throat are white, while 
the low'er throat and chest are either of a brilliant orange, brownish yellowy 
or pure yellow tint. In the second variety, with the exception of the white 
chin and throat and the pale yellow chest, the whole of the fur is dark brown. 
The length of the head and body varies from 20 to 22 inches, and that of the 
tail, inclusive of the hair at the tip, from 17 to 20 inches. The Indian marten 
is found throughout the Himalaya, from the regions to the westward of 
Kashmir to Eastern Assam, and thence through the hilly districts of Burma 
to the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. In Peninsular India it occurs on the 
Nilgiri and Travancore Hills; whilst to the eastward its range extends as far 
as South China and Amurland. 

This marten is only found where the hills are thickly clothed with for- 
est, and is by no means exclusively nocturnal. Although apparently far 
from uncommon in the Himalaya, it is, according to the writer's personal 
experience, but seldom seen. He had, however, once the good fortune to see 
a pair of these handsome animals descend from the trees, and gambol in a 
forest-glade at a short distance from his position. It may sometimes be 
seen in parties of five or six, hunting for prey either among brushwood or 
on the branches of trees. When on the move, it is continually uttering a 
kind of low chuckle, prolonged into a harsh cry when it becomes excited." 
Its food, which includes large insects, appears to be very similar to that of 
the other martens, but it is reported to kill youngs deer. 




THE STORY OF THE LEMUR. 



So many people mistake lemurs for monkeys, that I have decided to 
speak at some length of the former animals. The resemblance between 
lemurs and monkeys is so strong that it is difficult to explain in a popular 
work the exact difference without treating of the anatomy, the physical 
construction of both. This I do not propose to do, but will try to make it 
clear in other ways. 

The first point of difference is to be noticed in the foxy, but expression- 
less faces of the lemurs, indicating that they are of a much lower order of 
intelligence than apes and monkeys. 

Many lemurs are purely night animals, and it was probably from this cir- 
cumstance, .coupled with their silent habits and stealthy movements, that 
Linnaeus was induced to give them the name which they are now uni- 
versally known. The name lemur is taken from the Latin term lemures, 
which, together with that of larvcX, w^as applied by the ancient Romans to 
such spirits of the dead as were supposed to be of malignant natures. 

Altogether, there are about fifty species of lemur-like animals. They 
are all restricted not only to the Old World, but also to the southern re- 
gions of the great land masses of that hemisphere, none of them being 

473 



474 THE STORY OF THE LEMUR. 

found to the northward of the tropic of Cancer, while the tropic of Capricorn 
very nearly limits their southward range. Within this area a few species are 
found respectively throughout the warmer regions of Africa, and in 
Southern India and Ceylon, while their eastern limits are marked by the 
island of Celebes and the Philippines. In all these regions the number of 
species is comparatively few, and they form but an unimportant element in 
the general animal family of the country. The case is, however, very dif- 
ferent in the great island of Madagascar, which is the headquarters of the 
whole group. Here we find them constituting no less than one-half the 
animals of the island, most of the others being small forms, unknown either 
on the continent of Africa or in Asia. The true lemurs occur only in Mada- 
gascar, and it is very remarkable that all the species of the group found in 
that island scarcely show any closer relationship to those of the African 
mainland than they exhibit to those of Asia. So abundant, indeed, are 
lemurs in Madagascar that at least one individual is almost sure to be found 
in every little copse throughout the island. 

It will be evident that such a numerous population of helpless animals 
like lemurs could not exist in a land overrun with large flesh -eating animals; 
and in the wdiole of Madagascar we find only a few civets and an allied 
creat'ire known as the fossa. Now to account for these peculiar features — 
the absence of all large flesh-eaters, except civets, and the abundance of 
lemurs — we have to call in the aid of the geologist. He will tell us that 
lemur-like animals, accompanied by civet-like animals, existed in England, 
France, and other parts of Europe during the early part of the Tertiary 
period. And we are accordingly led to conclude that the lemurs and civets 
of Madagascar obtained an entrance into that island, doubtless by way 
of Africa, at a time when that continent was still free from the presence of 
the large flesh-eating animals and the host of hoofed creatures, which now 
form such a dominant feature in its animal population. After the lemurs 
and civets had obtained an entrance into Madagascar that country became 
separated from the adjacent mainland, and it has remained as an island ever 
since. There, secure from molestation, the lemurs have attained a develop- 
ment unequalled at any time in any part of the globe, and afford us an 
admirable instance of the importance a group of animals may attain w^hen 
living under fc.vorable conditions. 

We have already said that many lemurs are essentially nocturnal crea- 
tures. To this we may add that they are all of essentially tree frequenting in 
their habits. Indeed, except when compelled to descend to the ground to 



THE STORY OF THE 'LEMUR, 



475 



obtain water, or for the purpose of crossing from one plantation or coppice 
to another, they but rarely leave the trees. Their diet is extremely mixed, 
scarcely anything coming amiss to them, as will be inferred when we men- 
tion that leaves, fruits, insects, reptiles, birds' eggs, and birds themselves are 
eagerly consumed by most of these animals. 

By the natives of Madagascar the lemurs are looked upon with suspicious 
awe, and are consequently but seldom molested. This is doubtless due to 




THE RUFFED LEMUR. 



their nocturnal habits and ghost-like movements; while the large eyes essen- 
tial to these and all other nocturnal creatures have perhaps contributed to 
this feeling. In Ceylon and India the large glaring eyes of one of the 
prettiest of the lemurs used to lead to the unfortunate creatures being put to 
a cruel death. None of the lemurs attain any very large size, and all of 
them, when unmolested, are perfectly harmless and inoffensive animals, ex- 
cept to the birds, reptiles, and insects upon which they prey. 



476 THE STORY OF THE LEMUR. 

The largest of the true lemurs is known as the ruffed lemur. It inhabits 
the Northeast Coast of Madagascar, and as its name indicates, is remark- 
able for the variety of color of its fur. Frequently this is a mixture of black 
and white, disposed in patches on different parts of the body, but occasion- 
ally white individuals are met with; others are a reddish brown. 

The red-fronted lemur is met with in all parts of the island; the white- 
fronted is found on the Northeast Coast and the black-fronted on the North- 
west Coast. Besides these there are the Mungoose lemur of the West- 
ern Coast, the black lemur of the Northwest Coast, the gentle lemur of the 
jungles, the weasel lemur of Northwest Madagascar and the mouse lemur 
of which there are many varieties. 

One of the most interesting of all is the little creature known as the 
dwarf mouse lemur, but often referred to as the Madagascar rat. The head 
and body of this diminutive creature do not exceed 4 inches in length, 
while the tail measures 6 inches. The prevailing color is a pale grey; the 
chin and under-parts being pale yellow, and the outer surface of the ears 
light brown, while a white streak runs up the nose and between the eyes. 
The eyes themselves are surrounded by black rims, giving to the face the ap- 
pearance of wearing a pair of spectacles. 

The dwarf mouse lemur builds beautifully constructed nests of twigs, 
lined with hair, in the tops of the lofty trees where it delights to dwell. 
These nests somewhat resemble those of a rook both in form and size, and 
are used not only as daily resting-places but as cradles for the young. 
The species is remarkable for the extreme beauty of its brilliant eyes. 

The dwarf lemurs inhabit a belt of forest-land stretching from the 
eastern forest into the heart of Betsileo, a few miles north of Fianarantsoa, 
where they are tolerably abundant. They live on the tops of the highest 
trees, choosing invariably the smallest branches, where they collect a quan- 
tity of dried leaves, and make what looks from below like a bird's nest. So 
close is the resemblance, that it requires good eyes to distinguish the one 
from the other. Their food consists of fruit and insects, and most probably 
honey. I have frequently seen them catching the flies that have entered their 
cage for the honey; and I have supplied them with moths and butterflies, 
which they have devoured with avidity. They are extremely shy and 
wild. Although I have had between thirty and forty caged at different 
times, I have never succeeded in taming one. They are also very quarrel- 
some, and fight very fiercely, uttering a most piercing, penetrating sound, 
somewhat resembling a very shrill whistle. 



THE STORY OF THE LEMUR. m 

The best known African lemurs are called galagos. With the exception 
of a kind from the West Coast, the great, or thick-tailed galago, of Mozam- 
bique and the Lower Zambesi Valley, is the largest of all the species. This 
animal is about the size of a cat of average dimensions; and, indeed, the 
peculiar manner in which it carries its thick bushy tail high above its back 
is highly suggestive of a pampered Persian cat. This bushy tail is about one- 
fourth longer than the head and body. The ears are unusually long. 

It is confined to the maritime region, so far as I know never penetrating 
beyond the band of wood generally known as the mangrove forest. By the 
Portuguese it is named "rat of the cocoanut palm," that being its favorite 
haunt by day, nestling among the fronds; but if it be disturbed, performing 
feats of agility, and darting from one palm to another. It will spring with 
great rapidity, adhering to any object as if it were a lump of wet clay. It 
has one failing, otherwise its capture would be no easy task. Should a 
pot of palm-wine be left on the tree, the creature drinks to excess, comes 
down, and rushes about intoxicated. In captivity they are mild; during the 
day remaining either rolled up in a ball, or perched half asleep, with ears 
stowed away like a beetle's wing under its hard and ornamented case. I 
had half a dozen squirrels with one in the same cage; these were good 
friends, the latter creeping under the galago's soft fur and falling asleep.' On 
introducing a few specimens of (elephant) shrew, the galago seized one and 
bit off its tail, which however, it did not eat. The food it took was biscuit, 
rice, orange, banana, guava, and a little cooked meat. Stupid during the 
day, it became active at night, or just after darkness set in. The rapidity 
and length of its leaps, which were absolutely noiseless, must give great facili- 
ties to its capturing live prey. I never knew it give a loud call, but it would 
often make a low, chattering noise. It had been observed at the Luabo 
mouth of the Zambesi, at Quillimane, and at Mozambique. When I had my 
live specimen at Zanzibar, the natives did not seem to recognize it; never- 
theless, it may be abundant on the mainland. 

In the warmer parts of Asia is found the slow lemur or loris. The name 
loris, by which all the slow lemurs are commonly known, is derived from 
the Dutch word Locris, meaning a clown, and appears to have been applied 
to these animals by the Dutch colonists of the East Indian Islands. To the 
natives of India the slow loris is known either by the name Sharmindi billi, 
'■'bashful cat," or Lajjar banar, "bashful monkey." It is an animal about the 
size of a cat; different individuals or races varying considerably in size, so 
that while some specimens do not measure more than 13 inches in total 



m THE STORY OF THE LEMUR. 

length, others may reach as much as 15 inches, or even more. Its propor- 
tions are thick and ckmisy; the head being broad and flat, with a sUghtly 
projecting and pointed muzzle. The large eyes are perfectly circular, and 
their pupils can be completely closed by the gradual contraction of the iris, 
which open from above and below, so that when the pupil is half concealed 
it takes the form of a transverse slit. The ears are short, rounded, and 
partly buried in the fur; and are, thus, very different from those of the 
galagos. The- hind-limbs are only slightly longer than the others. With 
the exception of the muzzle and the hands and feet, the whole of the body 
is covered with a thick coat of very close and somewhat long woolly fur. 

In the more common and larger variety, the color of the fur is ashy-grey 
above, tending to become silvery along the sides of the back, the under-parts 
being lighter, and the rump often having a tinge of red. The stripe on the 
back is chestnut-colored, and stops short at the hinder part of the crown of 
the head. The eyes are, however, surrounded by dark rims; between which 
is the white streak extending upwards from the nose. The ears, together 
with a small surrounding area, are brown. 

The slow loris is found over a large area in the countries lying to the east- 
ward of the Bay of Bengal. It occurs on the northeast frontier of India in 
the provinces of Sylhet and Assam, whence it extends southwards into 
Burma, Tenasserim, and the Malay Peninsula; while it is also found in Siam 
and Cochin China, and the islands of Sumatra, Java and Borneo. 

Its food consists of leaves and young shoots of trees, as well as fruits, 
various kinds of insects, birds, and their eggs. It has been observed to 
stand nearly erect upon its feet, and from this advantageous position pounce 
upon an insect. It is generally silent, although sometimes uttering a low 
crackling sound; but when enraged, and especially if about to bite, it gives a 
kind of fierce growl. This animal is tolerably common in the Tenasserim 
provinces and Arakan; but, being strictly nightly in its habits, is seldom seen. 
It inhabits the densest forests, and never by choice leaves the trees. Its 
movements are slow, but it climbs readily, and grasps with great tenacity. 
If placed on the ground, it can proceed, if frightened, in a wavering kind of 
trot, the limbs placed at right angles. It sleeps rolled up in' a ball, its head 
and hands buried between its thighs, and wakes up at the dusk of evening to 
commence its nocturnal rambles. The female bears but one young at a 
time. Many accounts have been published of the habits of the slow loris in 
confinement. While these creatures are apt to be fierce when first captured, 



rnn ^torv op run lemur. m 

tliey soon become docile. They are very susceptible to cold, and when so' 
affected are apt to be fractious and petulant. 

I once had a tame loris which was especially fond of plantains, also 
partial to small birds, which, when put into his cage, he killed speedily; and, 
plucking the feathers off with the skill of a poulterer, soon lodged the carcass 
in his stomach. He ate the bones as well as the flesh; and though birds, and 
mice perhaps, were his favorite food, he ate other meat very readily, espe- 
cially when quite fresh; if boiled, or otherwise cooked, he would not taste it. 
He preferred veal to all other kinds of butcher's meat; eggs, also, he was 
fond of, and sugar was especially grateful to his palate; he likewise ate gum- 
arabic. As flesh was not always to be had quite fresh, he was for some 
time fed upon bread sopped in water, and sprinkled with sugar; this he ate 
readily, and seemed to relish it. When food was presented to him, if 
hungry, he seized it with both hands, and, letting go with his right, held it 
with his left all the time he was eating. Frequently, when feeding, he 
grasped the bars in the upper part of his cage with his hind paws, and hung 
inverted, appearing very much intent upon the food he held in his left hand. 
He was exceedingly fond of oranges; but, when they were at all hard he 
seemed very much puzzled how to extract the juice. I have, upon such 
an occasion, seen him lie all his length upon his back, in the bottom of the 
cage, and, firmly grasping the piece of orange in both hands, squeeze the 
juice into his mouth. He generally sat upon his hind part (the hair of which 
was much worn by long sitting), close to the bars of his cage, grasping 
them firmly with his hind paws; he then rolled himself up like a ball, with 
his head in his breast, his thighs closely placed over his belly, and his arms 
over his head, generally grasping the bars of the cage with his hands also. 
In this position, and also without moving, he remains the whole day. Upon 
coming into the Channel, the cold weather affected him very much; he 
was seized with cramp, and I at that time placed him in a small box, which 
was filled with very soft down. This he felt so agreeable that, when cold, he 
never left it during the whole day, unless disturbed, and slept in it rolled 
up in the shape of a ball. 

His temper, in cold weather especially, was very quick; but, in general, 
he was rather timid, and never offered any injury unless incautiously 
touched, teased, or provoked; he then made a shrill, plaintive cry, evidently 
expreSvSive of much annoyance, and would bite very sharply. 




STORY OF THE ECHIDNA. 



One of the queerest ant-eating animals with which I am acquainted is 
the echidna, or spiny ant-eater. There are two species of this queer animal, 
wdiich differ widely in appearance from the duckbill and are found over a 
larger area of territory. 

Instead of mole-like fur, the echidnas have the upper surface of the head 
and body covered with a mixture of stiff hairs and short thick spines. The 
head is rather small and rounded, and has a long, slender, iDcak-like snout, 
covered with skin, at the extremity of which are situated the small nostrils. 
There are no external conchs to the ears; but the eyes are of fair size. The 
opening of the mouth is very small, and the tongue, which can be extended 
at great length, has the long, round form characteristic of all ant-eaters. 

The skull is devoid of all traces of teeth, and remarkable for the slender- 
ness of its lower jaw, and its generally bird-like form. Although there is 
nothing corresponding to the horny plates of the mouth of the duckbill, 

480 



THE STORY OF THE ECHIDNA. 



481 



both the palate and the tongue are thickly beset with small spines. The 
body of the echidnas is remarkably broad and depressed, with a sharp line 
of division between the spine-covered area of the back and the hairy under- 
parts. The tail is a mere stump, and the short and sturdy limbs are armed 
with enormously powerful claws, varying in number from three to five on 
each foot. Although the front-feet are applied to the ground in the usual 
way, the hind-feet, in walking, have the claws turned outwards and back- 
wards. 

The males resemble those of the duckbill in having a hollow spur at the 




THE ECHIDNA OR SPINY ANT-EATER. 



back of the hind-foot, which is probably employed as a weapon in the con- 
tests between rival males during the breeding season. 

The common echidna is a variable species, found in Australia, Tasmania 
and New Guinea, and characterized by having five toes on each foot, all 
provided with claws, those on the fore-feet being broad, while the others 
are narrow and more curved. In length the beak is about equal to that of 
the remainder of the head, and it is either straight or slightly turned 
upwards. The smallest variety inhabits Port Moresby, in New Guinea, and 



482 THE STORY OF THE ECHIDNA. 

attains a length of about fourteen inches, its distinctive feature being the 
shortness of the spines on the back. 

The variety from the AustraHan mainland is larger, and the spines are of 
great length. Larger than either is the Tasmanian variety, in which the 
length may be nineteen inches, the very short spines on the back being 
partially or completely hidden by the fur, the dark brown hue of which is 
frequently relieved by a white spot on the chest, while the beak is unusually 
short. 

The three-toed echidna of northwestern New Guinea is larger than 
any of these. Usually it has but three claws to each foot, but there is con- 
siderable variation in this respect, one specimen having five claws on the 
front, and four on the hind feet. The beak is bent downwards, and attains a 
length equal to about double that of the rest of the head. The short spines 
are generally white, and the color of the fur is dark brown or black, although 
the head may be almost white. 

Echidnas are mainly nightly animals frequenting rocky districts, and sub- 
sisting almost exclusively on ants. They are generally found in the moun- 
tains, and the three-toed species has been taken at an elevation of between 
three and four thousand feet. 

Although it is definitely ascertained tnat they lay eggs, much less is 
known of their breeding habits than is the case with the duckbill. Accord- 
ing, however, to native reports, the young, which are probably two in 
number, are born during the Australian winter, generally in the month of 
May. 




THE STORY OF THE MINK. 



Among the fur-bearing animals that have been a source of profit to hunt- 
ers and trappers is the mink, a very near relative of the polecat. The minks 
are divided into three families, the American, the Siberian and the European. 
The latter is generally known as the nertz or sumpf-otter (marsh-otter), and 
has no recognized European name, although some naturalists have agreed 
in calling it the European mink. 

All of the minks are inclined to water, and their toes are partly webbed. 
The European and North American minks are such closely related animals 
that they cannot be even distinguished from one another externally. The 
European mink has, however, very generally a white upper lip, which is but 
rarely exhibited in its American relative. When the skulls of the two forms 
are compared together it will be found that in the American form the upper 
niclar tooth is invariably decidedly larger than in the European; and it is 
on account of this difference that the two are regarded as specifically dis- 
tinct from one another. 

483 



484 THE STORY OF THE MIN^. 

Like the martens, the minks have a uniformly long and somewhat bushy 
tail, differing markedly from that of the weasels; its whole length being 
approximately equal to half that of the head and body. The ears are 
smaller than in any of the allied forms, and scarcely appear above the general 
level of the fur. The coat consists of a dense, soft and matted under-fur, 
mixed with long, stiff and glossy hairs, the gloss being most marked in the 
fur of the upper-parts, while the hairs of the tail are more bristly than else- 
where. In color the mink varies from a light dull yellowish brown to a rich 
black chocolate-brown, the ordinary tint being a rich dark brown, scarcely, 
if at all, paler below than above. The tail is always decidedly blackish. Our 
illustration exhibits the white upper lip usually distinctive of the European 
mink. In both the eastern and western forms the chin is always white, 
although the extent of the white area is subject to individual changes. In 
addition to the white on the chin, there may also be small irregular patches of 
the same color on the under parts, while, in rare instances, the tail may also 
be tipped with white. 

As a rule, the American mink is somewhat larger than the European, and 
in both the male is always larger than the female. The American form may 
vary in length from the tip of the snout to the root of the tail from fifteen 
to eighteen inches, while the length of the tail, inclusive of the hair, ranges 
from about eight to nine inches. The European mink is an inhabitant of 
Eastern Europe, occurring at the present day in Poland, Einland, and the 
greater part of Russia, although unknown to the eastward of the Ural 
Mountains. 

The American species ranges over the greater part of North America, 
although not found in the extreme north of that continent. 

In its general habits the mink, in both hemispheres, is thoroughly 
amphibious, and is therefore only found in districts where water is abundant. 
Indeed, these animals may in this respect be regarded as presenting precisely 
the same relationship to the polecat as is held by the water-vole to the land- 
vole. Tlie mink not only swims and dives with facility, but can remain long 
under water, and pursues and captures fish by following them under logs 
or other places from which there is no free escape. It has thus been known 
to catch as swift and agile a fish as the brook-trout, and Audubon says that 
he has seen a mink catch a trout of upwards of a foot in length. It is 
remarkably strong for so small an animal, and a single one has been known 
to drag a mallard duck more than a mile, in order to get to its hole, where 
its' maf^ joined in the feast. 



THE STORY OF THE MINK. 



485 



Generally, the food of the mink consists of various aquatic creatures, such 
as frogs, crayfish and molluscs, but it will also eat various small aquatic 
animals, such as voles, as well as mice and rats, while in America it is 
reported to prey at times upon the comparatively large musquash. Marsh- 
frequenting birds also fall victims to the mink, and their eggs are also 
consumed. Other wild birds are, however, comparatively safe from the 
attacks of this animal, as its climbing powers are of the feeblest. Poultry 
are not unfrequently attacked; but in these and other attacks the mink does 
not exhibit that wholesale destructiveness characteristic of the stoat. In 
hunting, the mink has been often observed to pursue its prey entirely by 




THE EUROPEAN MINK. 



scent, and it may be observed on its hunting- expeditions both by night and 
by day. 

All who have hunted the mink bear witness to its extraordinary tenacity 
of life, the writer last quoted stating that he has known several instances of 
these animals being found alive after having lain for fully four-and-twenty 
hours with their bodies crushed flat beneath a heavy log. The countenance 
of the mink is described as at all times far from prepossessing, but when 
caught alive in a steel trap these animals have an expression almost dia- 
bolical. • 



486 THE STORY OF THE MINK, 

Some years ago the fur of the mink was but httle esteemed, and the 
price was at one time said to be so low as not to repay the cost of transport. 
Recently mink fur has, however, been more appreciated, and the animal 
has consequently. been n:ore vigorously trapped, with the result that in some 
districts there has been a considerable reduction in its numbers. In 1865 
the value of a good mink skin was reported to have reached five dollars, and 
at that date upwards of six thousand of these skins were annually exported 
from Nova Scotia alone. It is stated that while for two decades the total 
number of European mink skins averaged fifty-five thousand, the exports of 
American mink reached one hundred and sixty thousand, but in the year 
1888 the number of American was upwards of three hundred and seventy 
thousand. At the latter date the value of Russian mink varied from about 
one to four shillings per skin, while American skins fetched from four to ten 
shillings. Much higher prices were, however, current a few years previ- 
ously. 

American mink always obtains higher prices than Russian, the best 
skins coming from Alaska and New England. 

The Siberian mink is a little-known species inhabiting the districts to the 
eastwards of the Yenesei River, but unknown in Siberia. It is more like a 
polecat in general appearance, having similar dark and light markings on the 
head and face. The color is a clear rich tawny brown, as dark below as 
above. 




THE STORY OF THE WAPI. 



On the Semliki River, near the borders of the great Congo forest, I 
first heard of and later saw one of the queerest animals in the known world. 
The natives called it the wapi, but a naturalist of the present day, who has 
learned much about it, has given it the name of okapi. 

A little to the east end of the middle of Africa is a chain of lakes running 
nearly north and south. The great Lake Tanganyika is the southernmost, 
north of this is Lake Kivu, whose waters flow south into Tanganyika, and 
then passing over a high volcanic range we come to the lake known as the 
Albert Edward Nyanza, stretching northward from the shores of which 
are Mountains of the Moon, the Rewrenzori range. Keeping in the valley 
to the west of this range the traveler passes along the Semliki River, whose 
waters flow northward, and eventually reaches the Albert Nyanza, the source 
of the Nile. 

The region of the Semliki River is in many respects a most remarkable 
one= A few miles east from its banks are snow mountains 25,000 feet 
high. At no great distance on the west are sources of the Aruwimi, the 
great tributary of the Congo River. To its west, also, for hundreds of miles, 
stretch the northeastern extensions of the great Congo forest. Along the 
shores of the Semliki the British protectorate of L^ganda and the Congo Free 
State meet one another. It is here that Stanley and I saw the distant 

487 



488 THE STORY OF THE WAP I. 

Rewrenzori range and heard from natives of the existence in the forest of 
a large quadruped, neither antelope nor zebra, and as large as. a horse. 

It is to this region that Sir Harry Johnston, High Commissioner of 
Uganda, traveled in the autumn of 1900 in order to explore the confines of 
h}S protectorate before returning home. Sir Harry is an ardent naturalist, 
a really great collector, an observer, and an artist. Many a new bird, beast 
and plant from Kilimanjaro, NyJissaland and Uganda do men of science owe 
to him. On the present occasion he was eager to obtain new things and was 
well equipped for the purpose and well provided with men. He has sent 
rich collections to the Natural History Museum as a result of this journey. 
He was especially anxious to see and if possible secure the enigmatical 
quadruped which I had reported to exist in these forests. 

It must be borne in mind that the larger quadrupeds live in the open 
prairie or frequent only the borders of the African forests, and, further, 
that few of the natives excepting the peculiar dwarfs, the Akkas, penetrate 
far into the gloomy depths of these vast tree-grown regions. Sir Harry 
himself traveled for a week in the dark, steamy recesses of this equatorial 
forest. He describes the sense of mystery and oppression with which the 
solemn gloom, the choking heat, and strange silence filled him as well-nigh 
overpowering. It is not to be wondered at that the blacks avoid these 
primeval fastnesses. 

It is among the trunks of these forests trees, whose foliage is densely 
woven overhead so as to exclude the light of day, that the strange animal 
of which Sir Harry was in search lives, coming here and there to ''clear- 
ings" due to the decay and fall of the trees, in order to feed on the foliage. 

It might well be that this dark vapor-laden forest had persisted from 
remote geologic ages, and that strange animals, survivors of pliocene and 
miocene times, still harbored there unknown to man, unchanged, cut off 
from the struggles of the outer world. 

Sir Harry failed to get a sight of the animal, but he obtained from na- 
tives two bands made from its skin, and learned that the animal was called 
by them "okapi." The pieces of skin had the hair preserved, and this was 
colored very dark brown and white in alternate bands, like the pelt of a 
zebra. They were sent home and were considered by Dr. P. L. Sclater, the 
secretary of the Zoological Society of London, to indicate a new kind of 
zebra, to which he gave the name Equus Johnstoni. 

At a station of the Congo Free State, not far from the Semliki River, 
Sir Harry Johnston met the officer in charge, a Mr. Ericsson. This gentle^ 



THE STORY OF THE WAP I. 489 

man promised to do all in his power to obtain a specimen or specimens 
of the okapi for Sir Harry from the natives of his district. Some months 
later, when Sir Harry Johnston had returned to the more civilized portion 
of the Uganda protectorate, he received by messengers from Mr. Ericsson 
a complete skin, including the hoofs, and two skulls of the okapi. 

One of the most remarkable facts in this story is that Sir Harry, with- 



THE WAPI OR OKAPI. 



out access to books and specimens for comparison, such as men of science 
have at their command in European museums, immediately determined 
with complete accuracy the nature of the okapi. He made — and has re- 
cently published — a sketch of the animal, showing it as he supposed, from 
the examination of skin and skull, it would have appeared when living. 
Its cloven hoofs showed that it was not of the zebra tribe, but related to 



490 THE STORY OF THE IVAPI. 

the antelopes and giraffes; and Sir Harry went so far as to say that it was 
a short-necked hornless giraffe — similar to the Helladotherium, the bones 
of which have been found at Pikermi, near Athens, and were reconstructed 
as a complete skeleton by Professor Gaudry, of Paris. Sir Harry suggested 
that the okapi must be considered as a living survival of that animal, and 
assigned it to the genus Helladotherium. 

This was extraordinarily correct and sound reasoning. It has been abun- 
dantly confirmed by careful study of the specimen sent to London ex- 
cepting that it has seemed necessary to separate the okapi, on account of 
some minor features in the structure of the skull, from Helladotherium. 
The okapi is now known as Ocapia Johnstoni. 

Sir Harry Johnston at once dispatched the okapi's skin and tw^o skulls 
to the Natural History Museum. 

He rightly declared this to be the most remarkable discovery in the 
zoology of Africa made in the last hundred years. 

The photographs here reproduced show the animal as set up by Mr. 
Ward and an enlarged view of the head. The shoulder is higher as com- 
pared with the rump than in Sir Harry's restoration, and the neck is some- 
what longer than it seemed to him, and straight as is that of a giraffe. 
Probably the okapi, like the giraffe, carries its neck habitually sloping- 
forward so as to give a continuous straight line from the back of the head 
to the root of the tail. A very interesting feature is the presence of two 
little tufts on the forehead, which correspond to and represent the horns 
of the giraffe, though they cannot themselves be called horns. An ex- 
amination of the skulls of the okapi show that there is no bony outgrowth 
corresponding to these knobs, although the skull is raised on each side 
above the orbit into a small domelike eminence. 

The coloring and marking of the hairy hide of the okapi is very peculiar. 
Its pattern is well shown in our illustration. The body is of a rich maroon- 
brown color. 

The tract of forest inhabited by the okapi is about as big as the prin- 
cipality of Wales, and there may be some 2,000 or 3,000 head living there. 
It is undoubtedly a true inhabitant of the forest, elusive and difficult to dis- 
cover. Probai)ly we shall soon hear more of it and receive additional speci- 
mens, though it is not likely, on account of its frequenting the forest depths, 
to be threatened or exterminated by too eager sportsmen for long years to 
come. 




STORY OF THE WOLVERINE. 



One of the great states of the Union, Michigan, is given the nickname 
of an animal which was once plentiful within its boundaries, but is now 
nearly extinct in the United States — the wolverine, or, as it is called by 
naturalists, the glutton. 

While it is a very different looking animal from the weasel, and much 
longer in size, naturalists classify it as a member of the weasel family. It 
inhabits the northern regions of both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. 
It has the same number of teeth as the marten, but they are large and power- 
ful and most nearly resemble the teeth of hysenas. 

The whole animal is heavily and rather clumsily built, and walks with 
the greater part of the soles of the feet applied to the ground. The limbs 
are thick and rather short; the feet are provided with long, curved claws, 
and have their soles thickly haired. The back is much arched, and both the 
head and tail are carried low. The whole appearance of the animal is that 
of a bear cub, w^ith a superadded tail. The head is broad and rounded, 
with a rather short and pointed muzzle, small and widely-separated eyes, 
and small rounded ears, projecting but little above the general level of the 
fur. The tail is comparatively short, thick, and bushy, with hairs varying 

491 



492 • THE STORY OF THE WOLVERINE. 

from six to eight inches in length. The fur of the body and limbs is rather 
coarse, long and thick, and there is also a thick woolly under-fur. The 
general color is dusky or blackish brown, but there is a distinct band of 
chestnut, or some lighter tint, commencing behind the shoulders, then run- 
ning along the flanks, and meeting its fellow at the root of the tail. The 
front and sides of the head are light grey, while upon the throat and chest 
there may be one or more light spots. The limbs and under-parts, together 
with most of the tail, are very dark. The claws are nearly white. 

There is considerable individual variation, in the size of the glutton, the 
length of the head and body in seven examples measured by me varying 
from twenty-six and one-half to thirty-six inches, and that of the tail, with 
the hairs at the end, from twelve and one-half to fifteen inches. About 
twenty-nine inches may, however, be set down, as the length of the head and 
body in average-sized specimens. 

In Europe the glutton appears to have been long regarded as a kind of 
fabulous creature, and it is remarkable that it is known by the same name — 
vielfrass — in almost all the continental countries. What may be the mean- 
ings of this name is uncertain, some writers considering that it is com- 
pounded of two Swedish words signifying rock-cat, while others refuse to 
admit its Scandinavian origin. By the French Canadians the animal is 
termed Carcajou, and by the English residents of British North America, 
Quickhatch, the latter, and probably also the former, being derived from 
some almost unpronounceable native name. 

The glutton is a forest-haunting animal, and in America is to be found 
in all suitable districts to the north of the United States as far as the Arctic 
coast, traces of its presence having been observed on Melville Island, in 
about latitude 75°. Its southern limits on the eastern side of the continent 
may be set down as about latitude 42° or 43°, or, roughly speaking, that of 
Lake Erie, but on the western side it descends lower, having been, definitely 
recorded from Salt Lake, while in the mountains it may extend as far as 
Arizona and New Mexico. The animal is, however, now virtually exter- 
minated throughout the United States. 

In Europe the glutton is found at the present day in Norway, Sweden, 
Lapland, the north of Russia, namely, in the neighborhood of the White 
Sea, in the Government of Perm, and the whole of Siberia, and Kamschatka. 
In the time of Eichwald it was still to be found in Lithuania, but is now 
extinct there. Solitary specimens have, indeed, been killed in Saxony and 
Brunswick; but these must be regarded merely as stragglers, and not as 



THE STORY OF THE WOLVERINE. 



493 



inuicating that the range of the species extended so far south within his- 
toric times. 

At an earher period of the earth's history the glutton ranged, however, 
to the British Isles, its fossilized remains having been discovered. Evidence 
of the former existence of the glutton on the continent has also been obtained 
in the caves of the Dordogne in the south of France. 

In habits the glutton is almost exclusively a night animal, there being 
but few instances of its having been seen abroad during the day, and in 
two of these cases the animal was seen to sit up and shade its eyes with its 
paws, as if suffering from the unaccustomed light. The glutton does not 




THE WOLVERINE OR GLUTTON. 



hibernate, and there is no marked difference in the color of the winter and 
summer coat. In spite of its clumsy-looking appearance the animal when 
disturbed can make off at a very rapid pace, and hunters who have occasion- 
ally seen a glutton in the shades of evening speak of the hopelessness of 
pursuing it. It likewise ascends rough-barked trees with facility, although 
it is said that its climbing powers are only exerted when it scents food. In 
the pursuit of prey the glutton will readily swim rivers. As a rule it is 
silent, although when attacked it will give vent to angry growls. 

Gluttons are found either solitary or in pairs, but generally solitary. 
During the day they live concealed in holes in the ground, which are usually 



404 THE STORY OF THE WOLVERINE. 

their breeding-places, and which are frecjuently the deserted lairs of bears. 
In North America the young are born in June or July, the number of indi- 
viduals in a litter being, according to Coues, generally four or five, but it is 
stated that there are sometimes only a pair. The young remain with their 
mother till the following winter, when they have to shift for themselves. 
The Cree Indians state that the mother is exceedingly fierce when defending 
her offspring, and at such times will not hesitate to attack human beings. 

In regard to food, the glutton will devour any animal that it can catch 
and overmaster, and that it is by no means averse to carrion. The activitv 
of the animal is such that it can at times capture such nimble prey as hares 
and grouse, while disabled or weakly deer are always successfully attacked. 
The stories of its attacking healthy, full-grown reindeer are, however, im- 
probable. Foxes, rabbits, marmots, etc., are dug out from their burrows 
and eaten. 

The glutton is the particular foe of the beaver and freciuently digs that 
animal out of his house of mud and sticks even in midwinter when the 
beaver's home is solidly frozen. 




THE STORY OF THE SKUNK: 



The most ill-favored of all American animals is the skunk, owing to the 
odor of a secretion which it is able to eject with great force. The secretion 
is contained in a pair of glands and is ejected only when the creature is 
attacked or irritated. 

So forcibly can the amber-colored fluid be ejected that it will carry from 
a distance of thirteen feet to a little over sixteen feet. It appears that there 
is a marked difi^erence in the intensity of the odor of the secretion in differ- 
ent individuals of the common skunk, which is probably in part due to the 
age of the animal, and in part to the length of time which has elapsed since 
the preceding discharge took place. When fresh.ly ejected, the fumes from 
the secretion are pungent and acrid in the extreme, and are capable of 
producing extensive swelling of the respiratory passages. When inhaled 
without the admixture of a large amount of atmospheric air the unhappy 
victim loses consciousness and breathes stertorously, the temperature falls, 
and the pulse slackens, and if the inhalation were prolonged the results 
would doubtless prove fatal. 

The following stcry shows the lasting effect and strength of even one 

drop of skunk secretion : 

495 



496 THE STORY OF THE SKUNK. 

"A settler in the Argentine Republic started one evening to ride to a 
dance at a neighbor's house. It was a dark, windy evening, but there 
was a convenient bridle path through the dense thicket of giant thistles, 
and, striking it, he put his horse into a swinging gallop. Unhappily the 
path was already occupied by a skunk, invisible in. the darkness, that in 
obedience to the promptings of its insane instinct, refused to get out of it 
until the flying hoofs hit it and sent it like a well-kicked football into the 
thistles. But the forelegs of the horse as high as the knees were liberally 
sprinkled, and the rider, after coming out into the open, dismounted, walked 
away twenty yards from his animal, literally smelled himself all over and 
pronounced himself clean. Not the smallest drop of the diabolical spray 
had touched his dancing shoes so far as he could discover. Springing into 
the saddle he proceeded to his journey's end and was warmly received by his 
host. 

"In a little while the other guests began exchanging whispers and sig- 
nificant glances. Ladies coughed and put their handkerchiefs to their noses, 
and presently began to feel faint and retire from the room. 

"The settler began to notice that there was something wrong, and 
presently discovered the cause. He had been the last person to remark that 
familiar but abominable odor, rising like a deadly vapor from the floor, con- 
quering all other odors and every moment becoming more powerful. A 
drop had touched his shoe after all!" 

The skunk, of which there are several varieties, is an exclusively Ameri- 
can animal. 

The common skunk is an inhabitant of Northern and Central America, 
ranging from Hudson's Bay in the north to Guatemala in the south, and it 
may be compared in size to a rather small cat, the length of the head and 
body always exceeding a foot. It is a stoutly built animal, with a small 
head, sho-rt and rounded ears, a moderately long body, and legs of medium 
length. The long and bushy tail is thickly clothed with very long and fine 
hair, and is, as already mentioned, generally carried curled over the back 
when the animal is walking. Its length, inclusive of the hair, is somewhat 
less than that of the head and body. The general color of the moderately 
long hair of the body is black or blackish, and, although there is a great 
amount of individual variation, the white markings usually take the form of 
a streak on the forehead, a spot on the neck, and two stripes running down 
the back. The tail is black, more or less mixed with white, or merely tipped 



THE STORY OF THE SKUNK, 



'497 



with the same. In some cases the white stripes do not extend beyond the 
neck, so that the back is entirely black. 

The loiig-tailed skunk from Mexico differs by its longer and more bushy 
tail, of which the whole length is not less than that of the head and body. 

More distinct is the lesser skunk, ranging from the southern United 
States to Yucatan and Guatemala. This species never exceeds a foot in 
length from the snout to the root of the tail, the whole tail being distinctly 




THE WHITE-BACK SKUNK, 



shorter than the head and body. It has four white stripes on the body, 
together with some spots, and the tail is tipped with white. 

In South America the group is represented by a very distinct species 
known as the white-backed skunk. This skunk differs from all the others 
by its heavier build and more pig-like head and snout. The ears are 
extremely small, and the tail is shorter and less bushy than in the other 
skunks. In size this species is the largest of the group, some specimens 
attaining a length of about twenty-four inches, exclusive of the tail, although 
the more usual dimension is about eighteen inches. The color is even more 



498 THE STORY OF THE SKUNH. 

variable than in the common skunk, but in general the two white stripes oil 
the back are very wide. The tail is either pure white or black and white. 

The range of this species extends northwards from Patagonia and Chili 
through Central America to Texas. 

The habits of all the species of skunks are very similar. 

Skunks are good climbers, but appear to prefer clearings and open glades 
rather than dense forests, and they may be frequently found in the neigh- 
borhood of human dwellings, although in Patagonia and the Argentine 
pampas they inhabit perfectly open country. In common with other mem- 
bers of the family they are largely night animals, but may be met with 
walking abroad in the evenings in North America, while in Patagonia the 
white-backed species, conscious of its power, roams by day about the open 
plains, and fears neither dog nor man. 

This indifference to the presence of other creatures is, indeed, one of the 
most striking characteristics of the skunk, and is doubtless due to the 
immunity of attack which these creatures possess, owing to their nauseous 
secretion. In Nicaragua the skunk goes leisurely along at night, holding 
up his white tail as a danger-signal for none to come within range of his 
nauseous artillery. So indifferent is the common skunk to the presence of 
man that in many parts of the United States these creatures are not unfre- 
quently run over in the evenings on the roads by passing vehicles. The 
peculiar and conspicuous coloration of the skunks is generally regarded by 
naturalists as belonging to the class of so-called "warning colors." Such 
warning colors would seem to benefit the would-be enemies rather than 
the conspicuous forms themselves. But the conspicuous animal is greatly 
benefited by its warning colors. If it resembled its surroundings, like the 
members of the other class, it would be liable to a great deal of accidental 
or experimental tasting and there would be nothing about it to impress 
the memory of an enemy and thus to prevent the continual destruction of 
individuals. The object of warning colors is to assist the education of 
enemies, enabling them to easily learn and remember the animals which are 
to be avoided. 

In the Adirondack region the chief food of the common skunk consists 
of mice, salamanders, frogs, and the eggs of birds that nest on, or near the 
ground, while such hens' nests as are met with are sure to be robbed, and 
an occasional raid is made on the poultry-yard. A large number of beetles^ 
grasshoppers, and other insects is likewise consumed by these animals. 




THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 



Hairy Pelican — Pelicans are easily recognized by their enormous beaks, 
on the lower part of which is a hiigh pouch which may be compared to a bag- 
net, to which the upper part of the beak acts as a lid. The body is large, the 
neck long and slender, the head small, the legs short, the, webbed feet having 
very long toes. The plumage of the crested pelican is white, tinged with 
gray, black wings, and the feathers of the crown crinkled and lengthened 
into a large crest. The eye is silver white, the upper part of the beak grayish- 
yellow, the pouch blood red, shaded with blue, and the feet black. The 
range of the crested pelican is in Europe. Pelicans go in enormous flocks 
in the neighborhood of swamps and rivers. They live on fish. The eggs, two 
to three in number, have thick, bluish-white shells incrusted with chalky 
matter. 

Sooty-Tern — This is the best-known member of the family, sometimes 
known as the black-tern. The under-parts of the pkmiage are dark red and 
gray, as are also the upper tail coverts and the tail; the beak, the chin, the 
sides of the face, and the crown are nearly black. Like other members of the 
family, its beak is straight and rather slender. The black tern breeds in col- 

499 



500 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 

onies, the nest being situated in marshes, and formed of decayed pieces of 
plants or heaps of wreck, which rise and fall with the tide; sometimes they are 
placed on the firmer hummocks of 1x)g in the middle of shallow parts. The 
eggs are three in number, of various shades of ochreous clay, olive-brown, or 
olive-green, blotched with dark brown, especially at the larger end. The food 
of this tern consists chiefly of beetles and dragon-flies, with some small fish; 
it is also very partial to leeches. 

White Albatross — As its name indicates, the prevailing color of the plum- 
age is white but with a yellowish cast. Even the beak and feet are whitish.- 
The span of the wing is from ten to twelve feet, although this bird only 
weighs seventeen pounds. Its home is in the south seas, but it occasionally 
gets north of the equator, where it is sometimes known as the wandering 
albatross. The name albatross is a corruption of the Spanish word Albatraz 
meaning a gannet. It was given to them by the old-time voyagers. All 
the albatrosses are ocean birds and rarely visit the land except in the breed- 
ing season. They are almost constantly on the wing, and are equally at 
ease in the stillest calm and«the most furious gale. The manner in which 
it just tops the raging billows and sweeps between the gulfy waves calls 
forth w^onder and admiration. Although a vessel running before the wind 
frequently sails more than two hundred miles in the twenty-four hours, and 
that for days together, still the albatross has not the slightest difficulty in 
keeping up with the ship, but also performs circles of many miles in extent, 
returning again to hunt up the wake of the vessel for any substances thrown 
overboard. They make a round nest of tufts of grass, clay and sedge which 
stands up from the ground, and at the proper season contains a single white 
egg about the size of that of the swan. The egg is held in a kind of pouch, 
so that the bird has to be driven from the nest before one can see whether 
the egg is there. 

Cape Pigeon — From its slight resemblance to a dark-colored pigeon, the 
bird properly known as the Cape petrel is commonly called the Cape pigeon. 
It is a bird of medium size and is easily recognized by the sooty head and 
neck, the dusky and white plumage of the upper parts and spotless white 
underparts. It is an inhabitant of the South Atlantic and South Pacific 
Oceans. They follow vessels in great numbers, are so eager for scraps 
thrown over the ship's side, that any number of them have been caught 
with small hand-nets. In stormy weather they frequently come close into 
land. When gracefully hovering in the air, the bird may be seen to make a 
sudden dart downward to the water, in order to secure some floating mor- 



THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 



501 



sel of food it has espied, and on such occasions will dive readily. It also 
throws up its tail after the manner of a duck, and thus fishes up bits of food 
from slight depths. When caught and placed on deck, it has to run some 
distance with outstretched wings before being able to rise; and when first 




GREAT PELICAN. 



SOOTY TERN. 



WHITE ALBATROSS. 



CAPE PIGEON. SCOTER DUCK. 




HOOPER SWAN. 

EUROPEAN TEAL. 



MUTE SWANS. 

LITTLE GREBE. 



IVORY GULL. 
CRESTED GREBE. 



hauled in or handled, invariably ejects from its mouth or nostrils a reddish 
oily fluid. These petrels breed on Tristan da Cunha and Heard Island, and 
also on some of the Antarctic Islands; on Heard Island their nests are mad? 
in lioles in low cliffs. * 



502 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 

Scoter Duck — The marine duck known as scoter is found in the northern 
part of each hemisphere. Its general color is black, with or without white on 
the wing. The American scoter, which is found both in North America and 
Japan, is distinguished by orange yellow at the base of the beak instead of 
blackish-blue. They arrive from their summer quarters in September and 
October and return in the following April and May. Islands in the rivers 
and lakes of the Arctic regions, where the ground is covered with dwarf 
birch and willow, form the favorite breeding-grounds of the scoters; and 
the eggs, which are usually from five to nine in number, are deposited in a 
mere hole in the ground; those of the common species being grayish-buff 
in color. Although rather awkward walkers, all the scoters fly with rapidity, 
and are fully equal to their allies in swimming and diving. Their food in 
winter consists of various small species of water life, and in summer of water- 
plants; their flesh being almost uneatable. 

Teal Luck — The beautiful little duck known as teal measures only about 
fourteen mches in length. The male is beautifully colored, having bright 
green bands bordered with buff on the side of the head, with black, green, 
purple and white showing in the wings, and the white breast spotted with 
black. The upper plumage of the female is two shades of brown. The teal 
is found all over Europe and Asia and eastern North America. The teal of 
Europe and Asia winter in India and North Africa. The American blue- 
winged teal is easily distinguished by its blue wing-coverts and a white 
crescent between the beak and eye. In western America is found a cinna- 
mon-teal with a chestnut-colored head. The common teal breeds either 
among reeds and sedge on the margin of lakes and swamps^ or on boggy 
moors; the nest being a large structure composed of water-plants, lined with 
feathers or down, and the number of eggs in a clutch Varying from eight to 
ten in Britain, and from ten to fifteen in Lapland. When unmolested, teal 
feed both by night and day, but when much shot at they become mainly 
nightly feeders. In India, where they arrive by thousands in the cold season, 
teal frequent large sheets of water in the daytime, and resort to rice-fields 
and shallow marshes in the evening. Nearly as swift on the wing as pintail, 
teal turn and twist in the air with a rapidity second only to the cotton-teal, 
and they have a habit after being flushed of dropping suddenly again. They 
swim easily, but not very rapidly, and they cannot dive to much purpose, so 
that a wounded bird, unless there are weeds near, under which it can lie 
with only the bill above water, has, as a rule, but a poor chance of escape. 
On the landj if the ground be fairly smooth, they walk with tolerable ease; 



THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 



503 



but it is rare to see them, as one often sees the wigeon, well out on the dry 
sward, walking for pleasure. Their chief food is of a vegetable nature, but 
they also consume water-insects and molluscs. The common teal is usually 




MALLARD DUCK. HOODED MERGANSER BEAN GOOSE, 
DUCK. 




SCARLET 
FLAMINGO. 



GREAT HERON. 



EUROPEAN CRANE. 



WHITE STORK. PURPLE HERO.N. 



seen in India in moderate-sized parties, but occasionally in large flocks. In 
March they associate in pairs, and then afiford very pretty shooting when 
lying on the water beneath the steep banks of the larger rivers. The teal is 



504 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 

the easiest of all ducks to net and snare; immense numbers being captured 
during the cold weat'her in India, and kept alive through the summer in 
specially constructed "tealeries." 

Mute Swan — It is best known in the British Islands as a domesticated bird, 
but there is little doubt that there are some wild specimens. The mute swan 
may be easily recognized by the color of its beak, in which the base is black 
and the point orange-red. It is found all over Europe and in some parts of 
Asia, and during the winter enters Northern Africa, Egypt and Northwestern 
India. While swimming, the mute swan is the most graceful of all its kin, 
being the one in which alone the neck is bent in true "swanlike" form. Deriv- 
ing its name from the absence of any cry in the domestic race, it appears that 
wild birds trumpet like the whooper. The nesting-time — during which the 
male bird displays extreme pugnacity — takes place in May; the nests being 
generally built in association, and the number of eggs in each varying from 
five to eight. 

Little Grebe — This bird is distinguished from the other grebes by its 
smaller size, measuring only sixteen inches in length, and by the chestnut 
hue of its lower neck. It is found in northern Europe and Asia. The eggs 
of the grebe differ from those of the divers in the creamy white color of 
their shells and their green tinge. The usual number is three or four. When 
pursued these birds seldom take to the wing, but nearly always try to escape 
by diving. 

Crested Grebe — The largest member of the grebe family is the crested 
grebe, which measures from twenty-one to twenty-two inches in length. 
The grebe is a water bird, preferring fresh water to salt. The crested grebe is 
found in almost every part of the eastern hemisphere. In its summer plum- 
age it may be recognized by its chestnut-colored ear-coverts and white breast, 
while in winter it has a white stripe over the eye. The head is ornamented 
with colored ruffs, tufts or patches. 

Ivory Gull — Conspicuous on account of its uniform delicate white plum- 
age, faintly suffused with a rosy tint, in marked contrast to which stand out 
the jet black legs and greenish yellow beak, the lovely ivory-gull alone 
represents a distinct member of the gull family. An inhabitant of the Arctic 
seas, this gull wanders into temperate regions during the winter; its breed- 
ing-places being in Spitzbergen and other regions in the far north. In 
contrast to the snowy white of the full-grown, the young of the ivory-gull 
are spotted with black. 

Kallard Duck — This is the ancestor of the domestic duck. The mallard is 






THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 



505 



characterized by the male being more brightly colored than the female, 
except during the breeding-season; and by the brilliancy of the wings in 
both sexes at all times. In winter the male has the four middle tail-feathers 
curled upwards; the head and neck are brilliant velvety green, and separated 




SNOWY HERON. 



EUROPEAN PLOVER. 



ROSEATE SPOONBILL. 




y;!^T:^t^-^-s^^^B^-ff^'Z 



CRESTED 
PENGUIN. 



SEA 
SWALLOW. 



CORMORANT. 



WHITE TROPIC BIRD. 
FRIGATE PELICAN. 



by a white collar from the rich chestnut of the breast; while the wing-specu- 
lum is a brilliant metallic violet, bounded in front by a black and then a 
white bar, and behind by tw^o similar bands. The beak is yellowish green, 
and the legs and feet fvange-red. In length the bird measures about twenty- 



506 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 

two inches. The female at all times, and the male in the breeding-season, 
have the wings colored as above, and the whole of the rest of the plumage 
variegated with dusky and ochre, the former appearing in the center of the 
feathers and on the upper-parts, and the latter on the edges of the feathers 
and lower-parts. The mallard inhabits the whole of the Northern Hemi- 
sphere, although its chief range is restricted to the zone lying between the 
Arctic Circle and the Tropic. 

Hooded Merganser — The mergansers are better known by their common 
name goosander. Very different from any of the family is the hooded mer- 
ganser, distinguished by the black beak being shorter than the head, and 
more especially by the full semicircular, erect and compressed crest of hair- 
like feathers. In the male the head and upper neck are black, with the excep- 
tion of the hinder part of the crest, which is white edged with black; and 
the white breast is marked on each side by two black bands. Mainly North 
American, where it ranges from Alaska to Mexico, this merganser is a 
casual visitor to Europe. Although in Europe the mergansers generally 
frequent the coast, those which visit India are more commonly observed 
on inland waters. All are strong, heavy fliers, and most expert swimmers 
and divers; but on the land their movements are awkward and ungainly. 
Their food consists entirely of fish, molluscs, and shell fish, most of which 
are procured by diving; and in consequence of this diet their flesh is unpalat- 
able in the extreme. When fishing in flocks, as is often the habit of the 
goosander, the whole party may frequently be seen to dive at the same 
time; although not uncommonly a few remain above water as if to act as 
sentinels. While the red-breasted merganser nests on the ground among 
bushes, heathej, or long grass, the goosander nearly always, if not invariably, 
selects a hollow tree, or, failing that, a cleft in a rock, as a breeding-place, 
sometimes taking advantage of the nest of a crow or other bird. The 
creamy-white eggs are from eight to twelve in number; and the young, as 
soon as hatched, are carried down one by one from the nest to the water 
in the beak of their parent. When floating at ease the goosander sits as 
high in the water as a duck but when swimming settles down as deep as a 
cormorant. 

The Bean Goose — Well known in Great Britain, the bean goose may be 
readily distinguished from the gray-leg goose by the black nail of the beak; 
the middle portion of the beak being orange-yellow, and its base black; 
while the legs and feet are also orange-yellow or orange. This goose ranges 
over the greater part of the northern half of the Old World, occurring 



THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 



507 



during the winter in Britain, the shores of the Mediterranean, India, and 
fapan. It is, however, strictly a northern bird only breeding in Scandinavia 
to the north of latitude 64°, and in Siberia on the tundras near lakes and 
pools beyond or near the limits of forest. 

Scarlet Flamingo — The Persians gave this Ijird the name of "red goose." 




HERRING GULL. 
CHINESE MANDARIN EUCK. 




PATAGONIAN PENGUIN. 



NORTHERN LOON. 



RAZOR-BILLED AUK. 



although it bears a more striking resemblance to the stork. The legs are of 
great length; the neck also is extremely long and slender. The whole of the 
plumage is rosy white, with the exception of the quills of the wings, which 
are black, and the wing-coverts, which are a light scarlet. The naked skin 
around the eyes is yellow; the beak is rosy red at the base and black at the tip, 



508 THE STORY OP THE BIRDS. 

and the legs and feet are pinkish-red. The true scarlet flamingo is an Amer- 
ican species, with the general color of the plumage a full vermillion scarlet. 
Flocks of flamingoes, as they may be seen by the lakes, form one of the most 
wonderful sights in the world. They number tens of thousands, and massed 
upon the water look like huge rosy islands. When in the air they may be 
compared to a big cloud at sunset. 

Although a wader, the flamingo can swim well in deep water. Their 
chief food consists of various water-plants, which are pulled up from beneath 
the surface. When feeding, the flamingo turns its head the wrong way up, 
in which position its bent beak forms a most efficient spoon-like instrument. 
The nests are in the form of round basin-shaped elevations of mud placed 
in close continuity on the mud-flats. They may vary from two to six inches 
in height, but the majority are very shallow, and present somewhat the 
appearance of a numl)er of plates spread over the plain. Other single nests 
are situated in the water, and are in consequence much taller. The eggs, 
two in number, have a chalky external coating, beneath which is a greenish 
blue shell. During incubation the birds have their long red legs doubled 
under their bodies, the knees projecting as far as beyond the tail, and their 
graceful necks neatly coiled away among their back feathers, like a sitting 
swan, with their heads resting on their breasts. 

Crane — Cranes are birds of large size, with plumage either gray or white. 
They are found on extensive plains and swamps and are capable of long 
and powerful flight. In length, the common crane measures from 43 to 
48 inches and is found in Europe and Central and Northern Asia, visiting 
India, Persia, South China, and Northern Africa in winter, and passing 
through Japan on its migrations. Its plumage is gray; the naked part of 
the crown reddish, the sides of the face and neck white. The windpipe 
is lengthened and arranged in coils which enables them to utter, when 
alarmed or on the wing, a loud trumpet-like call, which can be heard at a 
distance of a couple of miles. They never perch on trees, — all the cranes 
build on the ground; their huge nests being placed in swamps, and the two 
or three eggs having a greenish color, more or less spotted with reddish. 

White Stork — In this long-legged, long-billed bird the ])lumage is a pure 
white, with the exception of the greater wing-covcrts, which are black. The 
beak and legs are red and the bare space around the eye is black. The length 
varies from forty-two to forty-four inches. With the exception of the extreme 
north, the stork ranges over the whole of Europe, although not breeding 
everywhere, and being m^rclv an irregular visitor to the British Island§, 



THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 



509 



Eastward its ran^^e extends throuj^h Turkey and Persia to central Asia and a 
great part of India, while in winter the bird visits northern Africa in large 
numbers. In h^rance, where it is much persecuted, it is now only a passing 
visitor; but it breeds in large numbers in Holland, (Germany, and indeed over 
the greater part of central and eastern Europe, where it enjoys protection 
on the part of the inhabitants. The stork'has become thoroughly habituated 
to human habitations and the presence of man, l)y whom it is esteemed, not 
only on account of its value as a scavenger, but likewise from its well-known 
fidelity to its young, which has become proverbial. In Palestine, where they 
only exceptionally breed, storks make their appearance at the latter part of 




A GROUP OF PENGUINS. 



March on their northern journey, while in Holland and Denmark they gen- 
erally arrive about the middle of April. They arrive and depart in inmiense 
flocks; and on their arrival spread themselves over the country in search of 
food, which com])rises small mammals and birds, reptiles, frogs, insects, etc. 
In most ]:»arts of luu-ope the stork generally builds on chimneys, where boxes 
or other receptacles for the nest are frequently placed for its accommodation; 
and as it returns year after year to the same spot, the nest, which is originally 
a shallow structure of sticks, gradually attains a height of several feet. In the 
absence of buildings, trees or rocks are, however, adopted for nesting. The 
eggs, usually from three to five in number, are pure white. During the 



510 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 

breeding-season the birds keep up a constant clapping noise with their beaks, 
and this noise not unfrequently betrays their whereabouts when soaring at 
such a height as to be quite invisible to the naked eye. As an instance of the 
constancy displayed by storks, it is stated that for three years a female, which 
remained during the w'inter in Europe, was visited annually by her mate, 
when both nested as usual. In the fourth year, however, the male bird also 
remained with his partner during the winter, and this continued for three 
years. Eventually both birds were shot, when it was discovered that the 
female had been prevented from migrating by an old wound. 

The Purple Heron — A straggler to Britain, the purple' heron is common 
in Holland and Spain, and ranges over the greater part of Europe to the 
southward of Central Germany. To the eastward it ranges from the Medi- 
terranean to the Indian region, the north of China, and the Philippines, in 
such districts as are suitable to its habits, but only breeds in the warmer 
regions. Common and resident in Egypt, it appears to be mainly a winter 
visitor to most other parts of Africa, although it is a permanent inhabitant 
of certain marshy districts. The purple heron has a slender neck, and the 
crown and back of the head, together with the plumes, are purplish black; 
the cheeks and sides of the neck are fawn-color w-ith streaks of bluish black; 
the back and wing-coverts are slaty gray; the long feathers on the back 
chestnut, the chin pale, and the neck reddish bufif. 

Snowy Heron — Together with the smaller herons, this bird is also known 
as the egret. The male bird, which measures about twenty-five inches in 
length, during spring and summer has the whole plumage pure white, with 
a crest of two long, narrow feathers, some long plumes on the lower part of 
the front of the neck, and the filament-like feathers of the back greatly 
developed. The winter dress lacks the crest and the plumes on the back. 
In Southern and Southeastern Europe the snowy heron is common, and it 
ranges through Asia Minor and Persia to India, China and Japan; while it 
occurs throughout Africa, and has been obtained from Northern Australia. 
The snowy heron nests in bushes and trees in the neighborhood of swamps, 
in company with the other waders; the nest being a platform-like structure 
of sticks intermingled with a few reeds, upon which are laid from three to 
six bluish green eggs. The bird differs from the white heron in being 
generally very noisy. 

Avocet — Tliis bird is closely related to the stilt. Its extremely long bill is 
curved upward at the end. The avocets are found in the same localities as 
the stilts, with the exception that none breed in India or the adjacent coun- 



THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 



511 



\ 



tries. The male of the common avocet is characterized by the black upper 
surface of the head and hinder part of the neck, and the white innermost 
secondaries; the young birds in their first plumage have the dark parts of 
the plumage brown, and the secondaries barred with white. The total 
length of the bird is eighteen inches. Owing to drainage, the European 
breeding-places of the avocet are now restricted to certain islands ofif Den- 





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SMALLER BUSTARD. WHITE IBIS. EUROPEAN BITTERN. 



GREAT BUSTARD. 




HORNED SCREAMER. 



DESERT GROUSE. 



CASSOWARY. 



mark and Holland, the marshes of Southern Spain, the delta of the Rhone, 
and the lagoons of the Black Sea; but to the eastwards it nests in Palestine, 
Persia, Turkestan, the southwest of Siberia, and also in Africa. In winter 
these birds resort to India, China, and, more rarely, Japan; and they reach! 
their European breeding-places in April and May, and depart in September. 
The North American avocet, ranging from the Great Slave Lake to Texas, 



512 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 

differs at all seasons l)y its white secondaries, and in the bree(hng--pkimage 
by the pale chestnut hue of the head and neck. The habits of the avocets 
are similar to those of stilts. 

Plover — The plover is a bird of powerful and sustained flight, flying 
when in flocks in a more or less wedge-shaped formation, and wheeling in 
the air, especially before pitching on the ground, in a peculiarly graceful 
manner. On the ground it is also equally active, running and walking with 
speed, and frequently wading breast-deep in the shallows. Breeding locally 
in Britain and some other districts of Northwestern Europe, this species has 
its chief nesting-haunts on the fjelds of Norway and the Russian and Sibe- 
rian tundras; while in winter it frequents the shores of the Mediterranean, 
whence it wanders as far south as the Cape. It feeds largely by night. The 
nest is formed of dry herbage, with scraps of heath and moss, and situated 
either in a hole in the ground, on a tuft of herbage, under the shelter of a 
bunch of cotton-grass, or, more rarely, among short grass or heath. The 
eggs are very like those of the lapwing, from which they may be distin- 
guished by their superior size, the absence of olive in their markings, and 
their brighter color. The parent birds are adepts in the art of inveigling 
away the intruder from the neighl)orhood of their eggs or young, the latter 
scattering themselves in all directions at the first alarm, to seek protection 
by skulking among the surrounding herbage. 

Crested Penguin — The common name for this bird is rock-hopper. It 
measm-es twenty-seven inches and is distinguished from the other members 
of the family by a yellow crest of from three to five inches. It is found in the 
greatest numbers on the Falkland Islands. 

Sea Swallow — Properly speaking the sea swallow is a true tern, with 
the crown of the head black and the under parts white or gray. 

Black Cormorant — There are thirty varieties of this family, all having long, 
powerful bodies, long necks and long beaks. The face and throat are naked, 
the legs short and stout and the feet webbed. The best-known member of 
the family is the black cormorant, which ranges over all of Europe, part of 
eastern North America, northern Africa and Egypt and a portion of Asia. 
The plumage of the head and part of the neck is black, in which are inter- 
mingled a number of hair-like white feathers. The under-parts, except the 
white patch on the thigh, are bluish-black. In China and Japan cormorants 
have been trained to fish for their masters. When fishing, cormorants often 
swim with their heads below the water. They feed almost exclusively on 



VHE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 



513 



fish. The nests are large platforms of sticks, and the eggs, never more than 
seven, have a pale blue shell, incrusted with chalky matter. 

Frigate Pelican — The frigate bird differs from the other pelicans in its 
powerful hook-beak, slender body and absence of pouch. It lives entirely 
in the water, spending much of its time on the wing far away from land. It 
obtains a great deal of its food by taking it away from other sea birds. The 
plumage of the male is brownish black, shot with metallic green and purple 
on the head, neck, back, breasts and sides, shaded with gray on the wings. 
The beak is light blue at the base, white in the middle, and dark corn color 
at the tip. An air sack on the throat is orange red. The feet are carmine 




BUSTARDS. 



red above and orange beneath. The frigate bird inhabits the warm regions 
of the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans and is sometimes known by the 
title of Son-of-the-sun. The female lays but a single Qgg. 

Tropic Bird — Sailors generally refer to this bird as the "boatswain." In 
appearance it is not unlike the tern and is somewhat smaller than the com- 
mon gull. The best known member of the family is the red beak tropic bird 
which ranges over the tropical regions of the three great oceans. The 
plumage is white, with a reddish tinge, and black, and the two long tail- 
feathers white. The beak is coral-red, the eye brown, the leg yellow, and the 



514 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 

web and toes black. In younger birds the feathers of the back have black 
bands at the tips. 

Mandarin Duck — This bird of brilliant color and long, silky crest is a 
native of China. Its plumage contains nearly all the colors of the rainbow 
and could only be described accurately at great length. The beak is shorter 
than the head, v^^ith its base turned upward and backward in an angle nearly 
to each eye. 

Herring' Gull — This is a British species, measuring upwards of twenty- 
three inches in length. In its summer plumage the head is white, the mantle 
pale pearl-gray, and the beak yellow; there is a yellow ring around the eyes, 
and the legs are flesh-colored. Herring gulls are found in northern Europe, 
North America, and the islands of the Atlantic. These gulls are in the habit 
of following the shoals of the fish from which they take their name, and may 
often be seen hovering above the fry, preparatory to taking a plunge among 
them in the water. Their chief food consists, however, of various marine ani- 
mals thrown up by the tide; although during the spring and after rough 
weather they frequently wander far inland. 

Common Gannet — The common name of this goose-like bird is booby. It 
dififers from the darter in its shorter body, shorter and thicker neck and beak. 
The common or white gannet measures about thirty-four inches in length, 
and is entirely white, with the exception of black wing primaries and bufT 
head and neck. The front of the leg and foot is green, the remainder 
nearly black. It is found in great swarms in the northern part of both 
hemispheres. It feeds exclusively on fish, upon which it darts from a great 
height. The cliffs and rocks where it nests frequently contain thousands of 
these birds. 

Snake Bird — The name of darter is often applied to this bird. It differs 
from the cormorant in its much longer body, extremely long and thick 
neck, small, flat, narrow head, straight beak, with a point as sharp as a 
dagger, and its legs placed far back on the body. Its plumage is black, 
with a metallic green luster, with white streaks on the wing coverts. It 
frequents the banks of rivers, lakes and swamps in immense flocks. It feeds 
exclusively on fish, which it catches at night, spearing them with its pointed 
beak. When swimming only its head and neck are exposed, when it is easily 
mistaken for a snake, hence its name. Unlike many water birds, it builds in 
trees. The eggs, three or four in number, have light green shells with a 
chalky coating. There are four varieties of snake birds, one in Africa, one 
in India, one in South America, and the fourth in Australia. 



THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 



516 



Patagonian Penguin — A peculiarity of the penguin is the upright position 
in which it walks on land. It is one of the web-footed birds and in some 
respects is the strangest of all the feathered tribes. One of the peculiar 
habits of the penguins is to range themselves in long lines on the ledges of 
rocks or ice, simulating the appearance of soldiers when seen from a dis- 




SEA EAGLE. 



BLACK BUZZARD. 




KING VULTURE 



EUROPEAN BUZZARD HAWK. 



tance. They are found in the Antarctic Circle, South Africa, South America, 
Australia and New Zealand, The color of the head, neck and throat is 
brownish-black, the upper parts are iron gray, and the under surface glisten- 
ing white, faintly tinged with yellow. 



S16 TH^ STORY OF THE BIRDS. 

Puffin — The most grotesque of all birds are the puffins, or sea-parrots, 
as they are sometimes called. Their great orange-red beaks, with bands of 
slaty-gray and yellow, seem out of all proportion to their heads. The Arctic 
puffin is the best-known member of the family. It is about the size of a teal. 
In plumage it resembles the guilemot, with the sides of the head white and 
the throat encircled by dark red. The puffin is a deep-sea bird and is both 
an expert swimmer and diver. Its single Q:gg is laid either in a burrow in 
the ground or among the deep clefts of rocks. The ^gg is dull white, faintly 
spotted with gray and brown. 

Razor-Billed Auk — This bird differs from the other members of its family 
by its smaller size, well-developed wings and shorter beak. Its length is 
about seventeen inches. It has no large white spot in front of the eye 
like the great auk, but in summer it has a narrow white line extending from 
the beak to the eye. In its summer dress, the chin and throat are brown, 
the head, high neck and upper parts black, wnih. the under parts white; 
in its winter dress, the white extends upward to the throat, chin and sides 
of the head and the plumage of the upper parts is browner. The razor-bill 
is found on the coast and islands of both sides of the North Atlantic. It 
deposits its eggs on high ledges of rocks, preferring to deposit them in a 
crevice. 

Little Bustard — This bird is much smaller in size than the great bustard 
and the male lacks the mustache found in the other species. In length it 
measures only seventeen inches. In summer the upper plumage is buffish- 
brown mixed with black, and two black and two white gorgets on the lower 
neck and breast. It is found in some localities in Europe and Central Asia, 
ranging into India and Northern Africa. It migrates in flocks of millions 
to and from its winter and summer homes. 

In many of their habits they resemble the great bustards. Their flight is 
very different, and they often rise to a great height, and will flutter and twist 
about in the air. At other times, however, they fly rapidly and straight; and 
when on the wing always call continually. Wary in the cool of the morning 
and evening, during the 'heat of the day they lie close in the mustard-fields, 
which are their favorite haunts in the Punjab. They rise suddenly with a 
great pat-pat of the wings; and, though quite invisible till they rise, startle 
one with the great breadth of pure white they suddenly reveal, the whole of 
the secondaries and much of the primaries being white. 

Common Bittern — The "boom" of the bittern is a familiar sound in the 
vicinity of swamps and marshes. Where these have been drained the bird 



THE STORY OF THE BIRDS, 



517 



has almost disappeared. The male bittern is from twenty-eight to thirty 
inches in length. The plumage of the body is a buffish yellow, marked with 
reddish-brown; the head is brown, with a tinge of bronze-green; the beak is 
greenish-yellow; the legs and feet green. The common bittern is found all 




SPARROW HAWK. 



KESTREL. 




GOLDEN EAGLE. 



EUROPEAN OSPREY. 



HOBBY FALCON. 



over Europe, in Asia, and ranging eastwards through Central Asia to China 
and Japan. It also occurs in Persia and northern and central India, as well as 
in Burma; and likewise ranges over the whole of Africa and the greater part 
of North America. The bittern is essentially a bird of the swamps, among the 



518 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 

reeds and bulrushes of which it either skulks in a rail-like manner or stands 
erect, when it presents a strange resemblance to a pointed stump. When dis- 
turbed in the day among a bed of reeds it generally rises within easy shot, and 
after flapping lazily along for a short distance once more takes to covert. 
While on the wing it utters a resounding cry, replaced during the breeding- 
season by the hollow boom, from which the bird derives its name; and in its 
evening flights the bittern is said to soar in circles to vast heights. The nest, 
which is formed of a mass of reeds and flags, is placed either in thick covert, 
or on the marge of a swamp. The four eggs are olive-brown in color, but 
may be tinged with green when fresh laid. Among our ancestors the bittern 
was regarded as a favorite dish. Instead of booming, the American species 
during the breeding-season utters a cry which has been compared to the 
sound produced by hitting a stake with a mallet. Dr. Coues observes that 
"when the bittern is disturbed at his meditation he gives a vigorous spring, 
croaks at the moment in a manner highly suggestive of his displeasure, and 
flies off as fast as he can, though in rather, a loose, lumbering way. For some 
distance he flaps heavily with dangling legs and outstretched neck; but when 
settled on his course he proceeds more smoothly, with regular, measured 
wing-beats, the head drawn in closely and the legs stretched out behind to- 
gether like a rudder. He is very easily shot on the wing, dropping at a touch 
of even fine shot. When winged, he croaks painfully as he drops, and no 
sooner does he touch the ground than he gathers himself in defensive attitude 
to resent aggression as best he can. He fights well and with more spirit and 
determination than he might be expected to show. He has a very ugly way 
of pointing his resistance with quick thrusts of his spear-like bill, capable of 
inflicting no slight wound on an incautious hand. The food of this bird con- 
sists of various kinds of small aquatic animals. In its stomach may be found 
molluscs, crayfish, frogs, lizards, small snakes and fishes, as well as insects. 
Such prey is captured by spearing as the bird walks or wades stealthily 
along." 

Great Bustard — This bird bears a slight resemblance to the wild turkey. It 
is now found in Central and Southern Europe, Palestine, Turkestan, South- 
ern Siberia and Manchuria. It is rare in Northwestern Africa. 

The male of the great bustard stands between three and four feet in 
height, and has a total length of forty-five inches, whereas the female meas- 
ures about nine inches less. The male has a tuft of white bristle-like hairs, 
passing backwards and downwards from each side of the chin, and partially 
covering a narrow patch of bare skin. In the same sex the color of the head 



THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 



il9 



is gray; the upper-parts are chestnut-buff, with black barrings; the primary 
quills blackish brown, but the rest of the wings white; the breast is marked 
with bands of chestnut and gray; the abdomen is white; and the tail-feathers 
are reddish, barred with black, and tipped with white. The female, as a rule, 
lacks the mustache, and the bands on the breast. Like many other members 




GRIFFIN VULTURE. 



WANDERING FALCON. 




EUROPEAN 
LONG-EARED OWL. 



GREAT HORNED OWL. 



SHORT-EARED OWL. 



BARN OWL. 



of the family, the male has an air-pouch opening beneath the tongue, and 
running some distance down the front of the neck, which is most developed 
during the breeding-season, but at other times probably becomes so con- 
tracted as to become almost unnoticeable. Always unknown in Ireland, and 



520 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 

having disappeared at an earlier epoch from Scotland, the bustard was prob- 
ably exterminated as a resident English species in or about the year 1838; 
and it is now known only as a rare and casual visitor tO' the southern counties. 
Haunting the great steppes and plains — whether barren or under corn culti- 
vation — of Europe and Asia, the bustard is a shy and wary bird, associating 
during the winter in large flocks, but breaking up into pairs in the breeding- 
season, althoug'h even then several such pairs may frequent the same neigh- 
borhood, and the immature individuals still remain in companies. Its food 
consists mainly of grain and the young shoots of cereals and other plants, 
but it will also consume insects, as well as small reptiles and mammals. 
Drinking appears to be quite unnecessary to these birds and their kin. 

Generally silent, the female when alarmed gives vent to a kind of hiss, as 
does her partner; but the male has also a call-note which has been compared 
to the syllable "prunt." The breeding-season conmiences in May, towards 
the latter part of which the two, or occasionally three eggs are laid in a hol- 
low in the ground, which may be situated in the open plain, or in a corn- 
field, and may or may not have a scanty lining of dry grass. In color, the 
eggs vary from pale buff to some shade of greenish or l)rownish olive, 
speckled with reddish brown or gray. During the breeding season the males, 
which sometimes desert their consorts, are ai)t to be very pugnacious, in- 
stances having been known where they 'have actually attacked human beings. 
Bustards when flushed generally fly two miles or more, sometimes at least a 
hundred yards high. They never try to run. 

Horned Screamer — Screamers are birds of the size of a swan, but of 
totally different appearance, having a hen-like beak, a waxy growth at the 
base of the neck, large crop and a pair of powerful spurs on the front of 
each wing. The horned screamer of Guiana and Amazonia is easily recog- 
nized by the presence of a slender horn-like growth 5 or 6 inches in length, 
rising from the middle of the head, and curving upwards and forwards. Of 
the two spurs on the wing, the foremost is by far the longer and more 
powerful. In color, the soft feathers on the top of the head are v/hitish 
gray, with blackish tips; those of the cheeks, throat, upper neck, wings, and 
tail are dark brown; the wing-coverts having a greenish metallic sheen, while 
the feathers of the lower neck and upper breast are silver-gray, broadly 
banded with black, and those of the abdomen pure white. Screamers are 
found only in and around lagoons. 

Cassowary — The cassowary shown in the illustration is confined to the 
Island of Ceram, and was the first species of this extraordinary bird made? 



THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 



521 



known to science. There are now nine species known, the others inhabiting 
Australia, New Guinea and the nearby islands. They are about the size of 
ostriches. The top of the bare head projects upward into a helmet-like shape 
and the bare neck is ornamente'' ' '<h wattles. By reason of the brilliant 




EUROPEAN SNIPE. 



EUROPEAN LAPWING. 



"^ 



#|!:i|l||»^ 




DUSKY RAIL. 



CRESTED IBIS. 



CORN CRAKE. COMMON 
PRANTICOLE. TURNSTONE. 



EUROPEAN .STILT. 

RUFOUS SANDPIPER. 



hues of blue, green and red on the head and neck, and the glossy sheen 
of the blue-black plumage, cassowaries are the handsomest of all the flight- 
less birds. The body feathers are of a peculiarly loose and coarse structure, 
find appear more like hairs than the plumage of an ordinary bird; while the 



523 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 

wing feathers are represented merely by some four or five black quills 
devoid of barbs, which thus presents the appearance of very coarse bristles. 
In habits the cassowary differs from ostriches and rheas in being a forest- 
haunting bird. The eggs are dark green, the shell beautifully granulated 
or shagreened. 

Kestrel — The small falcon which bears this name is also known as the 
windhover which it derives from its habit of hanging suspended in mid-air 
with its wings in rapid motion. When in this position it spies a mouse or 
small bird beloW; and drops upon it suddenly and noiselessly with unerring 
aim. The male kestrel, which attains a length of twelve and a half inches, 
has yellow limbs, bluish beak, and black claws. The crown of the head, 
nape, and cheeks are ashy gray with dark streaks; the upper parts reddish 
fawn, with a small black spot on each feather; the quills blackish gray with 
lighter margins; and the tail feathers ashy gray, with a single broad black 
band near the end, and the extreme tips white. Beneath, the general color 
is pale rufous fawn, with dark spots or streaks, both of which disappear on 
the thighs and under tail-coverts; while the tail is grayish white with indis- 
tinct bars. The female, which scarcely exceeds her consort in size, differs 
by the top of the head being reddish fawn with dark streaks, the upper 
parts being banded with bluish black, and the tail rufous with several incom- 
plete black bars. The young males are nearly like the females, the tail 
changing blue first and the head last. The kestrel ranges over the whole of 
Europe and Northern Asia, migrating in winter into the north of China, 
India, and Northeastern Africa. It is replaced in the New World by the 
so-called American sparrow-hawk, in which the center of the crown of 
the head of the male is rufous, and the wing-coverts blue with black spots. 
Although its chief food consists of mice and voles, the kestrel occasionally 
kills small birds, and will also eat frogs, beetles, worms and grubs, while 
in India it frequently devours lizards. That it will occasionally kill a young 
partridge or chicken is doubtless true, but such small robberies are far more 
than counterbalanced by the benefits it confers on the agriculturist by the 
destruction of hosts of pernicious rodents, and it ought therefore to be 
carefully preserved, instead of being ruthlessly shot down. Although occa- 
sionally placed in a hollow tree, the nest is more generally situated among 
rocks or old buildings, while still more frequently the deserted nest of some 
other bird, such as a crow, magpie, or raven, is taken advantage of. The 
eggs, usually four or five, may be either mottled all over with brownish red 



THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 



523 



or orange, or blotched with these colors upon a light ground. They are 
generally hatched late in April, or early in the following month. 

Osprey — This bird is the connecting link between the owl and the eagle, 
and is commonly known as the fish hawk. The upper plumage is dark 
brown and the under plumage white. It is found in almost every part of 
the world except Oceania. It feeds on fish which it catches both in salt 




and fresh water. It makes a large nest of sticks, either on the ground or 
on a cHfif. 

Merlin — This small falcon has a resemblance to the American pigeon 
hawk, the upper plumage being bluish gray, the forehead and sides of the 
face whitish, and the under parts of the same color. The male measures 
about ten inches and the female two inches more. It inhabits Europe and 
Northern Asia, extending into India and China. In Great Britain the 



524 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 

merlin usually nests on the ground. Its eggs, four to six in number, are 
brick-red, mottled with a darker shade. Merlins may be trained to hunt 
other birds and are equal to the task of catching a pigeon. 

Kite — Few birds are better known in Europe than the common red kite. 
The general color of its plumage is reddish, while in the old males the head 
and throat are reddish with brown streaks. 

Wandering Falcon — The name is derived from the habits of the young 
which rarely remain long in one place. The marks of the wandering falcon 
are a blackish crown on the head, black patches on the' cheeks, back and 
tail a bluish gray, breast reddish white, the beak blue and black at the tip. 
It is found all over Europe, Northern Africa, Siberia, China, Japan and the 
Malay Islands. The North American variety is known as the duck-hawk. 

Long-Eared Owl — ^By reason of its beautifully mottled plumage, of which 
the general color is blackish brown varied with orange buff, this owl is 
one of the handsomest of the common species. It is smaller than the short- 
eared owl, being but thirteen and a half inches in length. Its habits are 
similar to the short-eared. 

Short-Eared Owl — Australia and Oceania are the only countries where 
the short-eared owl is unknown. Its ear tufts are short and the general 
color of its plumage tawny; each feather is streaked with brown down the 
middle; the under parts are pale buff, streaked with blackish brown. In 
length it varies from fourteen to fifteen inches. Its cry resembles the words 
keaw-keaw. It feeds on mice, small birds and beetles. In the United States 
the home of this owl is in the long grasses or weeds along the borders of 
lakes. 

European Barn Owl — Except in New Zealand and parts of Persia, Japan, 
and China this bird is found in all parts of the world. Its length is about 
fourteen inches. Its prevailing color-is buff, mottled with black and white. 
The discs on the face around the eyes are white. Its usual cry is a kind 
of scream. Its food is chiefly small mice. Its days are spent in the dark 
parts of buildings or the hollows of trees, and its nights in pursuit of food. 

Godwit — The godvvits are allied to the sandpipers but the feathers of the 
forehead are not extended. They breed in the temperate northern regions 
of the northern hemisphere, but migrate far to the south in winter. The best- 
known is the bar-tailed godwit, which measures fifteen or sixteen inches in 
length. In the summer dress, the upper-tail coverts and tail are white with 
dark-brown bars, the lower back, rump and under-wing coverts being white 



The story of the birds. 



525 



with brown markings. In the American bar-tailed godwit the under-wing 
coverts are chestnut. 

Snipe — The pkimage of the common snipe is a mottled russet or ashy 




RUBY TOPAZ. BIRD OF PARADISE. DE LANDE's HUMMING BIRD. 

MAGNIFICENT HUMMING BIRD. COMMON HUMMING BIRD 




OSTRICHES. 



INDIAN JACANA. 



AFRICAN CROWNED CRANE. 



hue which harmonizes with the bird's surroundings. Tire common snipe is 
about ten and one-half inches in length. It is found in Europe, parts of 
Asia and North America, preferring marshy and swampy places. It is a 



5^6 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 

choice game bird and is persistently hunted. Like the partridge it is 
addicted to "drumming." Its nest is a hollow, lined with dried grass, and 
the four eggs are buff or olive in color, with large blotches of rich, dark 
brown. 

Lapwing — Closely related to the plover is the bird commonly called lap- 
wing or green plover, the head of which often bears a crest. Unlike other 
members of the family the common lapwing has no spur on the wing, and 
is recognized by the metallic luster on the green plumage of the upper parts, 
the absence of white on the wing coverts, and by its crest of great length. 
It ranges from Britain to Japan and is found on both sides of the American 
continent, and in Alaska and Greenland. In winter it goes as far south as 
Northern Africa, Persia and India. In their enormous winter flocks, lap- 
wings are among the most difficult of birds to approach. When the breed- 
ing-place is approached, the old bird glides steadily off the nest, runs a little 
distance, then rises in the air to flutter restlessly above the intruder's head, 
uttering its harsh, wailing cries. So closely do the eggs resemble surround- 
ing objects in color that it is no easy task to find them; but the old birds 
very often betray their whereabouts by hovering above them; at these times 
the birds are easily approached, often coming within a few feet. When the 
young are hatched, they soon follow their parents in search of food. If 
menaced by danger, the old birds quit their offspring at once, fly into the 
air, or reel and tumble along the ground as if wounded, while the nestlings 
scurry off in different directions and hide themselves among the herbage. 

Corncrake — The corncrake or land-rail is found throughout the greater 
part of Europe and as far east as the Yenisei in Siberia, ranging south in 
winter to Africa, while it is also an occasional visitant to North America and 
Greenland. Nearly allied is the Carolina rail, in wdiich the general color 
above is olive brown, varied with black centers and white margins to the 
feathers; forehead, crown, front of the face and middle of the throat and neck 
black; the eyebrow-stripes, sides of the face and neck, as well as the chest, 
ashy gray, the breast white, and the flanks barred with black and white. 

Pratincoles — The forked tail and somewhat swallow-like appearance and 
hal)its of the pratincole render it," at first sight, somewhat difficult to believe 
that these birds are near relatives of the plovers; but closer observation 
will show that their long legs are adapted for running in the usual plover- 
like manner, and that it is only when on the wing hawking for flies that a 
resemblance is presented to the swallows. Many of them resemble coursers 
in their black under wing-coverts and white upper tail-coverts. Like the 



THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 



ssr 



coursers, the pratincoles feed almost exclusively on insects. They frequent 
sandy plains or marshes, and the banks of rivers and lakes, as well as lagoons. 
At all times of the year they associate in flocks, although each male selects 
but a single partner. The common pratincole is a small bird measuring 




GREEN AND ORANGE BARBET. 



GROOVE-BILLED 
BARBET. 



LONG TAILED ARACARI. 



LONG-BILLED 
TOUCAN. 




PUFF-BIRD. 



SOUTH AMERICAN. 
PUFF-BIRD. 



GREEN CURUCUI. 



from 9 to lo inches in length, and inhabiting the warmer parts of Europe, 
Asia, and Africa; an occasional straggler rarely reaching the British Islands. 
In color most of the upper parts are clove-brown; the primaries nearly 
black; the upper tail-coverts white; the feathers of the deeply-forked tail 



628 The story of the birds. 

white at the base, and elsewhere brownish l^lack; the chin white; the throat 
pale buff, bordered by a black line ascending to the eye; the breast brown- 
ish buff; the under parts and thighs huffish white, and the under wing- 
coverts chestnut. These birds do not make any nest, but lay their two or 
three eggs on the bare ground, in most cases without even taking the 
trouble of scratching a hollow for their reception. The eggs are nearly 
oval, and extremely fragile; their ground-color varying from yellow to slaty 
gray, upon which are numerous streaks and blotches of dark blackish 
brown. Like many other members of the order, pratincoles endeavor to 
draw intruders away from their nests by simulating lameness or some other 
injury. 

Turn-stone — The turn-stone bears a strong resemblance to the plover, but 
is classed with the snipes. They are three species, all of which breed in the 
Arctic regions and migrate south in winter. The plumage of the common 
turn-stone is mottled, black, white and chestnut, with a pure white chin and 
throat. The total length of this bird is nine and a half inches. It takes its 
name from its habit of overturning pebbles and other stones with its beak 
for the purpose of obtaining food. Although generally running along the 
shore, and taking short flights when disturbed, it is not destitute of the power 
of swimming; and its cry is a clear loud whistle. The nest is but a poor affair, 
consisting of a sparsely lined hollow in the sand; and the four spotted eggs 
differ in color from those of the plovers, and resemble those of the sandpipers 
and snipe. 

Stilt — The stilt, or stilt plover, gets its name from its extremely long and 
slender legs. The European stilt has a perfectly white head and neck. The 
upper parts and wings are black, the back is glossed with green, the upper 
tail-coverts and tail are pearly gray; the rest of the plumage pure white; the 
beak, black; the legs and feet, crimson. Stilts are essentially marsh-birds, 
although they always keep to open water, in which they may be seen stand- 
ing up to their knees on the lookout for insects, molluscs, tadpoles, etc.; 
their most favorite resorts being lagoons, where the water is brackish. They 
are generally found in small parties, and whether on land, in the water, or in 
the air, are remarkable for their graceful appearance. They walk with a 
deliberate step, which may be quickened into a run ; and they fly straight but 
slowly, with the neck outstretched and the long legs extended beyond the 
tail. Ordinarily silent and far from shy, in the breeding-season these birds 
utter a cry resembling the syllables, "kit, kot, kit," and are most assiduous 
in endeavoring to lure the intruder away from the vicinity of their nests. 



THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 



529 



In India stilts l)ree(l in enormous numbers, laying most of their eggs in June, 
although in Spain they are at least a month earlier; one of the favorite 





^C: 


k ) 1 


^ 




m 


S, 

M^ 


gH 




--^^i! 







BROWN FORK-TAILED BLACK AND WHITE SHKIKR. HOOK-BILLED BUTCHER BIRD. 

CREEPER. DRONGO. BARBAKY SHRIKE. SHRIKE. 




EUROPEAN GREEN 
WOODPECKER. 



MILITARY MACAW. AUSTRALIAN BLUE AND YELLOW EUROPEAN 

GREEN PARROT MACAW. WOODPECKER. 



haunts being some salt-works near Delhi, where the brine is distributed in 
shallow pools over acres of ground. The nest varies according to the nature 



530 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 

of the locality, being more bulky in moist places, and sometimes even float- 
ing on the water. The four eggs are pear-shaped, and of a huffish brown 
ground-color, upon which are blackish-l^rown streaks and blotches, with 
underlying markings of gray. 

Sandpiper — This bird gets its name from its shrill, piping cry, and the 
further fact that it is found along the seashore except in the breeding-season, 
when it frequents moors and marshes. Its beak is straight and slender and 
it is further distinguished by the feathers of the forehead being considerably 
extended. The sandpiper's scanty nest is placed on the ground, and, at the 
proper season, contains four pear-shaped spotted eggs. The best known 
forms of the common sandpiper are the green sand-piper, the red shank, the 
green shank and the rufif. The males of the last named have a large ruff 
around the neck and are very combative in disposition. In length the male 
measures about twelve inches and the female some two inches less. For- 
merly common in the English marshes, the ruff is now mainly a passing 
visitor to Britain, its breeding-haunts ranging from the most northern lands 
of Europe and Asia as far south as the valley of the Danube and the Kirghiz 
Steppes; while in winter it wanders as far as the Cape, northern India, 
Burma, and even more remote regions. 

Ruby Topaz Humming Bird — This species is confined to South America, 
and is sometimes known as the King humming bird. It is distinguished 
by the brilliant ruby color in the head and neck. 

Magnificent Humming Bird — The crested head and little spangled frills 
on each side of the neck make this bird conspicuous even among its bril- 
liantly colored fellows. The upper plumage is a glittering golden green, 
w'ith a huffish band across the rump; the crest is long and of a dark cinna- 
mon color; the throat is glittering green, bordered with cinnamon, and 
the feathers of the neck are tipped with a round spot of green. The under 
parts are gray. Its flight is very rapid. 

Great Bird of Paradise — The paradise birds are all supplied with gorgeous 
plumage. The great bird of paradise, found in Papua, the Aru and nearby 
islands, is the largest of the family, measuring from fifteen to eighteen inches. 
The body, wings and tail are of a rich coffee-brown, which deepens on the 
breast to a blackish violet or purple-brown. The whole of the top of the 
head and neck is of an exceedingly delicate straw-yellow, the feathers being 
short and close set, so as to resemble plush or velvet; the low^er part of the 
throat up to the eye is clothed w-ith scaly feathers of an emerald-green color, 
and with a rich metallic gloss, and velvety plumes of a still deeper green 



THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 



531 



extend in a broad band across the forehead and chin as far as the eye, which 
is bright yellow. The beak is pale lead-blue; and the feet, which are rather 
large, and very strongly and well formed, are of a pale ashy pink. The two 
middle feathers of the tail have no webs, except a very small one at the base 




CREEPER. BLUE-THROATED REDSTART. ROBIN. REDSTART. REDSTART. 

• WHITE-NECKED HUMMING BIRD. RED-BACKED SHRIKE. 




CRESTED HUMMINC BIRD. 
EUROPEAN ROLLER. 



CO.MMO.\ J 



IM'ROPEAN KING PARADISE SMALLEST HUMMING 

NUT CRACKER. BIRD. BIRD 

SUPERB PARADISE BIRD. 



and at the extreme tip, forming wire-like cirrhi, which spread out in an 
elegant double curve, and vary from twenty-four to thirty inches in length. 
From each side of the body, beneath the wings, springs a dense tuft of long 
and delicate plumes, sometimes two feet in length, of the most intense 



hn THE STORY OF THE BIRDS\ 

golden-orange color, and very glossy, but changing towards the tips into a 
pale brown. This tuft of plumes can be elevated and spread out at pleasure, 
so as almost to conceal the body of the bird. In the female the whole of the 
ornamental plumes are wanting, and the color is a uniform cofYee-brown. 
At certain seasons of the year the males flock together in a selected tree for 
the purpose of display, forming what the natives term "dancing parties." 
On one of these trees, a dozen or twenty male birds assemble together, raise 
up their wings, stretch out their necks and elevate their exquisite plumes, 
keeping them in continual motion. When thus assembled the birds are shot 
with blunt-headed arrows by the natives, who climb silently into the play 
trees. 

Common Humming Bird — The entire humming bird family is confined to 
America, ranging from the Arctic regions to the southern coast. As a 
rule the humming bird does not possess any song. Its brilliant metallic 
colors are well known for it is abundant in all parts of the country. The 
flight of the humming bird is unlike that of any other bird. When poised 
before any object, the motion of the wings is so rapid that the eye cannot 
follow it. It sometimes has the appearance of flying backward. Their little 
nests are made of moss, covered outside with lichens. The eggs, two in 
number, are white, and oval at both ends. 

De Lande's Humming Bird — This beautiful specimen has all the brilliant 
colors of its fellows, and is distinguished by a long pointed crest and long 
baggy-like bill. It is confined to South America. 

Jacana — The jacanas dififer from all other birds in their extremely long 
toes. They are handsomely colored birds, black or black and white being 
the principal color of the plumage. They are confined to South America, 
southern Africa, the Indian region and Australia. They are long-legged, 
slenderly-built birds, with short tails, spurs on the wings and a naked shield 
on the forehead. They live upon insects and frequent lakes and quiet rivers, 
where their long toes enable them to walk over the leaves of the water-lilies. 
The nest is a rude structure built near the edge of the water. The eggs, which 
vary from four to six in number, have a bluish-green ground, with liver- 
colored spots. 

Green and Orange Barbet — Burma and Southern China are the home of 
this bird of many colors, the prevailing tint being green, the mantle brown, 
the hind-neck streaked with orange, the head blue and the bill a pale yel- 
low. The nest-holes are drilled into a tree like those of the woodpecker. 

Brown Creeper — The creepers get their name from their method of pur- 



THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 



533 



suing their prey, comprising spiders and insects on the trunks of trees or the 
surface of cHffs. The brown creeper is the most familiar of the species. It 
is a small, plain-colored bird with a long downward curving beak and long 
curved claws. The tail consists of twelve stout pointed feathers, which are 
often stiffened to aid in climbing. The upper plumage is reddish brown, 




CAYENNE WOODPECKER. 



HAIRY WOODPECKER. 



WRY NECK, 




WILLOW WREN. 



ROSE-COLOKh,U 
STARLING. 



MlssEL THRUSH. 



EUROPEAN. 
BLACKBIRD. 



the under parts white. It is found in the northern regions of both the eastern 
and western hemispheres. 

Fork-Tailed Drongo— These birds, w'hich inhabit southeastern Asia and 
Africa, are better known as king crows. Although their plumage is black, 
^he deeply forked tail of t?n f?f\t!iers makes them easy to (!i?t|ngqish froixi 



534 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 

the crow family. They are the most familiar of Indian birds. The nest is 
composed of fine twigs and grass, covered on the outside with cobwebs. 
The eggs, usually four in number, are white or salmon colored, with brownish 
spots. The drongo is frequently seen perched on the backs of cattle search- 
ing for insects. 

Military Macaw — The prevailing tint of this small bird is green; the fore- 
head is scarlet, the lower part of the back, the rump and upper tail coverts 
are blue, the four middle feathers of the tail are brownish red, tipped with 
blue. This macaw is twenty-seven inches in length and ranges from Mexico 
to Peru. 

Blue and Yellow Macaw — In this bird the upper plumage, wings and tail 
are blue, the under parts yellow, a black patch on the throat and a grass 
green crown on its head. It ranges all over tropical America. It nests in 
hollow trees and its eggs, usually two, are about the size of those of the 
hen. From the first streak of dawn until it seeks its nest at night the 
macaw' keeps up a constant screaming, and the clamor of a large flock is 
almost deafening. 

White-Necked Humming Bird — This bird is distinguished from all the 
members of its family by a broad band of white feathers on the back of the 
neck, a broad fan-like tail, edged with white. 

Crested Humming Bird — The crest of this bird is less pointed than in De 
Lande's humming bird ; its color is metallic purple, shading off into golden 
and green. The sides of the head and throat are black. Its general color 
is a shining grass-green. 

Jay — The jays are closely related to the crows. The beak is short and 
compressed, and the feathers on the crown of the head are long and capable 
of being erected. They make a harsh cry, and are given to scolding other 
birds, or any person that comes near their nest. The jay is the thief and 
vandal of the bird-world, and delights in destroying the nests and eggs of 
other birds and their feeble fledglings. On the ground, the jay proceeds by 
hopping instead of walking. There are many varieties of the family, the 
most familiar of which is the crested blue-jay of North America and Mexico. 
Some of the species are beautifully colored. 

Nutcracker — The nutcrackers are well marked in form and color. They 
are of a chocolate-brown, more or less spotted with white. The European 
nutcracker shown in the illustration inhabits northern and central Europe, 
northern Asia, China and Japan. Its eggs are pale bluish-white, thickly 
spotted with olive-brown. One of its notes is a peculiar gurre, gurre, and 



THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 



535 



there is another like a sprung rattle. As its name indicates, it feeds prin- 
cipally upon nuts. 

King Bird of Paradise — This beautiful little bird of New Guinea differs 




so. AM GREAT-CRESTED COCK OF THE ROCK. BANDED CHATTERER. THICK-BILLED 

FLY CATCHER. BULLFINCH. SEVEN-COLORED TANAGER. FINCH. 




ORTOLAN. GREY FLY CATCHER. 

SCARLET-CRESTED CHATTERER, 



WHITE-NECKED 
FLY CATCHER. 



GOLDFINCH. REED BUNTING. 
SISKIN. 



from the other birds of paradise both in size and plumage. It measures only 
six and a half in.ches in length; its head, throat, upper parts, wings and ta:I 
are red. There is a large tuft of fan-like plumes on each side of the breast, 
purplish in color, and "tipped with green. It wears a green gorget belcw the 



536 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 

red of the throat, and the rest of the iinder-parts is white. Its two central 
tail featliers are very long and racket-like. 

Furple-Capped Lory — This member of the parrot family of the Molucca 
Islands is a gorgeous bird. Its general color is scarlet, the breast golden, 
wings green tipped with blue, tail red and a dark purple cap on the head. 
Like other lories it is a honey-sucker but sometimes eats soft fruits and figs. 
Its eggs, three to four, are laid on the bare wood. It is easily taught to 
speak and is a ventriloquist. 

Rose-Colored Starling— This bird is an inhabitant of Europe, with its win- 
ter home in India. In the plumage of the male, the head, crest, wings and tail 
are black, with a l)lue or violet gloss; the back and breast are a beau'.'ful rose 
color, which, in winter, is suffused with brown. The rose-colored starling 
is one of the most sociable and cheerful of birds. The song of the male is a 
continual chatter, mixed with harsh and disagreeable sounds; both one and 
the other begin in the early morning, continuing for a length of time, and 
renewed at intervals after feeding. Tlie males, always at strife, may be seen 
pursuing one another and exchanging blows with their bills, while in the 
most curious attitudes and with their long black crests elevated and ex- 
panded. They exhibit great affection for the hen birds which, never leaving 
the nest during the period of incubation, are protected and fed by them. 

Bullfinch — Bullfinches can be easily recognized by their large heads, short 
heavy beaks, white rumps, and deep black wings and tails. The plumage 
varies considerable from creamy-dun color to bluish gray. The male some- 
times has a rosy breast with upper parts of snowy whiteness. The female's 
breast is chocolate-brown. The bullfinch inhabits the woods and thickets of 
northern Europe and Siberia. Its eggs are from four to six in number, 
greenish-l)lue in color, speckled and spotted with purplish-gray. The cock 
bullfinch is a fighter and is always ready to do l)attle with an intruder. Its 
natural song is feeble and contains little music. 

Ortolan — The home of the ortolan is in southern Europe. The head of 
the male is gray, tinged with greenish yellow; the upper-parts are reddish 
brown, with black streaks; the eyelids are white, the foreneck and chest 
olive, and the under-parts reddish cinnamon. It nests on the ground, and its 
eggs are bluish white to pale salmon color, spotted and blotched with rich 
purple-brown. It is among the tamest of wild birds. It sings a monotonous 
song all day, and in Sweden it sings much at night. Ortolans are much 
esteemed by epicures, to whom its flesh is a great delicacy. 

Croldfinch — One of the common birds of England is the goldfinch. It 15 



THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 537 

a -resident also in Madeira, the Canaries, Africa, Syria, Asia Minor and Per- 
sia. In plumage, it greatly resembles the American siskin, or yellow bird. 




CHAFFINCH. 
AMADUVAT. 



KING WIDOW-BIRD 



RED-BILLED WIDOW-BIRD. GARNET HUMMING BIRD. 

GREEN FINCH. SENEGAL FINCH. EUROPEAN 

YELLOW-HAMMER. 




SKYLARK. 

CRESTED LARK. 



LYRE BIRD. 



TITMOUSE. CRESTED TIT. 

HEDGE WARBLER. FIELD LARK. 



The eggs are four or five in number, greenish-white in color, spotted and 
^treaked with purplish-brown and markings of violet-gray, 



538 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 

Common Siskin — The plumage of the male siskin is yellowish-green above, 
the rump bright yellow, the quills and back feathers blackish, edged with 
yellowy the chin is black, and the throat and breast bright yellow. It is found 
from Japan to the British Isles. Male birds are restless and lively, singing 
nearly all day. The nest is like that of a goldfinch. The American siskin is 
common in all parts of the United States and is generally known as the yel- 
low bird. Its eggs are white, with a rosy blush when first laid. 

Eeed Bunting — The buntings are a species of finch. The reed bunting is 
found all over Europe where there are swamps. It nests among rushes and 
long grass. Its eggs are drab, streaked with black and dark purple. The 
general color of the male is reddish brown, with broad, black centers in the 
feathers of the back. The tail feathers are dark brown, the tw'o outer ones 
edged with white; the crown of the head and sides of the face are entirely 
black; there is a broad band of white back of the neck; the throat is black; the 
under-parts white, streaked with black on the sides. There are rare speci- 
mens entirely white. 

Chaffinch — The most familiar member of the finch family is the chaffinch, 
found in all parts of Europe. Its plumage varies. In summer the male is 
usually a chestnut brown, with white wing-coverts, or black tipped with 
white, a black forehead, slaty-blue crown, chin and breast a pale wine red, 
and the lower parts white. The female is ashy brown, washed wdth olive 
yellow, the wings spotted with white. Species have been found of pure 
yellow with a tiny patch of pink feathers on the breast. The chaffinch varies 
its nest according to its surroundings and some of them are of remarkable 
construction. A remarkable nest found in Denmark was decorated all over 
the outside with small pieces of newspaper. The eggs of the chaffinch are 
generally purplish gray in ground-color, washed with green, and blotched 
and spotted with dark red; but perfectly blue, unspotted eggs have been 
seen, although this variety is rare. 

Greenfinch — The grosbeak group of finches is distinguished by short, 
stout beaks, and it is to this group that the greenfinch belongs. Green and 
yellow are the chief colors of its plumage. The male is olive yellow above, 
shaded with ashy gray; the under surface is yellow. The greenfinch is fond 
of building near the water and the young birds frequently tumble out of the 
nest and are drowned. The eggs are wdiite, spotted with reddish brown and 
gray. The greenfinch inhabits Europe, northwestern Africa, Palestine. 
Turkestan, eastern Siberia, Japan and China. Like all the finch family it 
feeds principally on seeds. 



THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 



539 



Skylark — In England only the nightingale exceeds the skylark in the 
beauty of its liquid notes. The common skylark is one of the most abundant 
of all European birds and its favorite nesting place is in the British Isles. It 




BLACK-CAPPED 
WARBLERS. 



WHEATEAR. GRAY WAGTAIL. RHINOCEROS 

GOLDEN-CRESTED HORNBILL. 
WREN. 



RED-BILLED 
HORNBILL. 




ARGUS PHEASANT. 

BLUE-BACKED DOVE. 



PEACOCK. INDIAN PIGEON. 



ROCK PIGEON. 



prefers the open country, and when disturbed rises to a great height, uttering 
its cheery carol. It ranges as far south as China and the plains of India. The 
soft marshes of the British coast are well adapted to the habits of the skylark, 



540 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 

and its nest is built in the side of a tussock of rough grass. Young skylarks 
can scarcely be distinguished from the dried grasses surrounding their nests. 
It is a singular fact that skylarks do not wash, but delight in cleansing their 
plumage by dusting their feathers in dry earth. The eggs of the skylark are 
white, thickly freckled with brown and gray. In the plumage the upper-parts 
are brown, tinged more or less with rufous, many of the feathers having dark 
centers; the wings are dark brown, the primaries narrowly edged with white 
on the outer webs; the tail is brown, with the exception of the outer feathers 
which are nearly all white; the throat and breast are Iniff, streaked with 
brown, and the rest of the under surface creamy white. Both sexes are alike. 

Crested Lark — A crest of very long feathers on the head distinguishes this 
lark from other members of the family. The song of the crested lark is 
sweeter and more pleasing than that of the skylark. This bird is found in 
all parts of Continental Europe, and frequents plowed fields in preference to 
grass land. Like the skylark, it nests upon the ground. Its eggs are grayish 
white, marked W'ith brown and gray. In India the crested lark is frequently 
caged, and kept in darkness by its cage being wrapped in a cloth. In this 
state it learns to sing very sweetly, and even to imitate the songs of other 
birds. The crested lark has the upper-parts brown; the feathers of the neck 
and back having dark centers fringed with buff; the crest is conspicuous, and 
consists of nine or ten narrow feathers, blackish brown in color, edged with 
buff; the lower-parts are creamy white; while the sides of the throat are spot- 
ted with blackish brown; the feathers of the breast and flanks being streaked 
with dark brown. 

Field Lark — A distinguishing feature of the field lark is a large patch of 
black adorning the sides of the neck. The upper parts of this bird are grayish 
brown, the feathers having dark centers; the under surface of the body is 
white, streaked finely with dark brown. In general appearance it somewhat 
resembles the corn bunting. It is one of the finest of songsters, and it would 
be difficult to overpraise the beauty of its glorious song, which is full of 
changes. It is a heavily-built bird, but does not dangle its legs in the air 
when flying. Its permanent home is in southern Europe. It makes its nest 
in a hole in the ground, sometimes as deep as three or four inches. The eggs 
are a dull gray, blotched with brown and amber. The field lark is much in 
demand for eating. 

Gray Wagtail — The favorite haunts of this bird are the streams and moun- 
tain torrents of central Europe. It delights in tiny cascades and rippling 
waterfalls, wading daintily in the shallows of a str^^tn ^nd running over the 



TME SfORY OF THE BIRDS. 



541 



rocks rising out of the bed. In the summer phimage of the wagtail, the 
crown and upper parts are slaty-gray, the upper tail coverts greenish-yellow, 
a white stripe passing above the eye; chin and throat are black and the lower 
parts bright yellow. In winter, the chin and throat are dirty white; the 




NIGHTINGALE. 



PINE TIT. 



EUROPEAN KINGFISHER. EUROPEAN SWALLOW. ALPINE MARTIN. 




ktuMAKl. LUNG-TAILED JAVA COMMON PEWEE. BLACK-CAPPED 

PEWEE. KINGFISHER. KINGFISHER. 



GOAT-SUCKER. 

GARDEN WARBLER. 



breast dull buff; the under parts grayish yellow. The gray wagtail nests 

year after year in the same place. The eggs are usually six in number, white 

in color, suffused with pale brown or olive. This bird has a pretty little song. 

Rhinoceros Hornbill — The common rhinoceros hornbill is found in the 



542 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 

Malay Peninsula, the Islands of Sumatra and Borneo. It is of large size, 
measuring nearly four feet in length. The color is black, with a slight gloss 
of steel-blue or dark green; the rump and upper tail-coverts being white, as 
is also the tail, which has a broad bar of black just before the tip; while the 
under surface of the body is black, with the exception of the lower abdomen, 
thighs, and under tail-coverts. The bill has a large casque, with the fore- 
part turned up into a horn-like protuberance, whence the bird's name of 
rhinoceros. The color of the bill is whitish yellow, black at the base, the 
casque lake-red, shading ofi below into orange near the base, which is black; 
and there is also a black line from the side of the nostrils to the fore-part 
of the casque. The feet are yellowish green, and the iris deep lake. The 
female resembles the male in color, but has no black base, and no black line 
along the side of the casque. In the young birds there is no fully-developed 
casque, but only a small orange-colored growth on the top of the upper bill. 
It will devour beetles, worms, mice, small birds, and almost any other kind 
of food. 

Red-Billed Hornbill — From India to Siam the red-billed hornbill is met 
with. The casque or horn is not so well developed as in the rhinoceros horn- 
bill and is orange red on top. The black wings are thickly marked with 
white. Like the other hornbills it nests in a great hole in a tree and feeds 
upon anything it can get. 

Argus Pheasant — The argus pheasant is the largest of the pheasant family. 
The male bird has the naked skin of the sides of the head, throat and fore- 
part of the neck dark blue. The feathers on the crown and the short crest 
are black; the upper parts beautifully checkered, mottled or spotted with 
black and buff; the chest is barred with black, and the rest of the under-parts 
are black, with wavy bars of chestnut and buff. It is found in the forests of 
Siam, the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. In total length the bird measures 
six feet from the bill to the end of the tail. The female has the general color- 
ation of the male, but lacks the beautiful ornamental markings. These 
pheasants are quite solitary, every male having his own "drawing-room," of 
which he is excessively proud, and which he keeps scrupulously clean. They 
haunt exclusively the depths of the evergreen forests, and each male chooses 
some open level spot — sometimes down in a dark, gloomy ravine, entirely 
surrounded and shut in by dense cane-brakes and rank vegetation — some- 
times on the top .of a hill where the jungle is comparatively open — from 
which he clears all the dead leaves and weeds for a space of six or eight yards 
until nothing but the bare clean earth remains, and thereafter he keeps this 



THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 54^ 

place scrupulously clean, removing carefully every dead leaf or twig that 
may 'happen to fall on it from the trees above. These cleared spaces are 
undoubtedly used as dancing-grounds, but personally I have never seen a 
bird dancing in them, but have always found the proprietor either seated 
quietly in, or moving backwards and forwards slowly about them, calling at 
short intervals, except in the morning and evening, when they roam about 
to feed and drink. The males are always to be found at home, and roost on 
some tree close by. 

Common Kingfisher — The common kingfisher is a beautiful bird of a green- 
ish blue color, with a band of white feathers on the sides of the neck, a 
buffy white throat and the under parts a rich orange red; the bill is black, 
the feet coral red. It is seven and a half inches, in length. The three 
varieties are all crested. It is common all over Europe and Northwestern 
Asia. It is exclusively a w^ater bird, feeding on fish. Seated under over- 
hanging willows or on an exposed bough or stump, the kingfisher watches 
patiently for the approach of its prey, when it dives like a flash of light- 
ning under the water. Sometimes it builds a nest, but quite as often lays 
its eggs in a tunnel in the bank, excavated by itself. 

Java Kingfisher — The bill of the Java kingfisher resembles that of the 
stork and is coral red in color. The plumage is dull green with a shade of 
blue on the wings, the head chocolate brown, the under surface a pale 
ochre. It nests in holes in high sandy banks, and although fish forms its 
principal food, it relishes crabs and frogs. Of the stork-billed kingfishers 
eleven species are known, their range extending from the Indian Penin- 
sula and Ceylon, through the Burmese and Malayan countries to Java, 
Sumatra, the PhiHppines, Borneo and Celebes. 

Black-Capped Kingfisher — The marks by which this bird is best known are 
a black cap or crest on the head and a broad white collar on the back of the 
neck. The under surface of the body is white with a chest band of black 
and white feathers. It is a peculiar fact that in the Old World these birds 
are either black and white, or gray and white, while in America they are 
either gray or green. Like the Java kingfisher they have long bills and 
long tails, and live exclusively upon fish. Writing of a nest with young 
found in the Northwestern Himalaya, a naturalist states that "the entrance 
was a large hole, fully four inches in diameter, and at the end was a cham- 
ber fully ten inches across, in which were four young birds; in the chamber 
was a quantity of fish bones and some grass. The eggs are three or four in 



S44 THE STORY Of THE BIRDS. 

number, and the birds are in the habit of carrying to their young- fishes froni 
six to seven inches in length, and these are always swallowed whole." 

Rock Pigeon — The rock pigeon, or blue rock, as it is sometimes called, is 
found throughout Europe, and as far east as India. In the original wild 
stock of the blue rock the plumage is gray, the rump white, and the neck 
and upper breast metallic green and purple, while there are two narrower 
black bars across the wing and a broader one across the end of the tail. It 
is found in a wild state where caves and deep fissures exist, and is common 
along the northern coasts of Scotland and Ireland. 

Goat-Sucker — This bird is even better known l)y its true name of night- 
jar. It has a broad beak set with strong bristles. The plumage is a dark 
ashy gray with markings of black and buff. The males have a large patch 
of white on the quills and at the end of the tail coverts. They are found 
nearly all over the world, but never go very far north. Its food consists of 
insects, which it hunts at twilight. It belongs to the same family as the 
whippoorwill, and in some localities is known as the churn-owl. 

Gray Partridge — The common gray partridge is one of the finest of game 
birds. The chestnut horseshoe mark on the breast is the most conspicuous 
part of its plumage. In other respects it harmonizes with its surroundings 
of gray and brown. It is too well-known to need any extended description. 

Red Partridge — In this handsome bird the upper parts are brown shading 
into chestnut. The chin and throat are white, as is the eye stripe. When 
pursued they try to escape by running. The home of the red partridge is in 
Southwestern Europe. 

Magpie — The plumage of the common magpie is black and white, and its 
form and habits are those of a crow. They are extremely active and noisy. 
Like the jackdaw they are not particular about the location of their nest. 
The eggs number from five to seven, are bluish-white, wath greenish-brown 
spots. In Europe, magpies fall prey to sportsmen who hunt them with fal- 
cons. 

Golden Oriole — Every spring the golden oriole leaves his home in India 
and pays a visit to northern Europe. Until the beech tree is in leaf it has 
some difficulty in concealing its brilliant plumage among the bare twigs. 
The male is a rich golden-yellow above, the wings being black, broadly edged 
with yellow; the tail is black, tipped with yellow, while the entire under 
surface is golden yellow. The back of the female is tinged with green. The 
enemy of the golden oriole is the sparrow hawk. In Europe this bird is 
usually silent, but in India it constantly pours out a flute-like note. 



3477 
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